Category Archives: Reverence

Bible, Glorify, Glory, Praise, Reverence, Salvation, Scripture, Testimony, Worthy

GLORIFY GOD

GALATIANS 1:24

“And they were glorifying God because of me.”

What exactly does it mean to glorify God? Have you ever wondered if you were doing it right? I mean, who wants to do that wrong? Am I right? Well, according to Strong’s Concordance the Greek word doxa means “to esteem glorious.” Thanks a lot, Carl. That doesn’t really help. It means to value God for Who He really is. Only He is worthy of glory. We certainly aren’t.

I love that Paul shared this in today’s verse. The people of the Judean churches, once they knew of the change in Paul, were glorifying God. Albert Barnes says of this verse, “They regarded me (Paul) as a true convert and a sincere Christian; and they praised God that He had converted such a persecutor and had made him a preacher of the gospel.” Paul’s conversion was something only God could have done. Therefore, only He (not Paul) was deserving of glory.

APPLICATION

I am sure you have known people who were converted from a horrible lifestyle. We’ve heard of adulterers and murderers getting saved. We may know of drug addicts or alcoholics who have done the same. How do we react? We give God glory! When Peter was called before the Jewish leaders after being arrested for preaching about Jesus, he said in Acts 4:12, “‘And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.’” The same is true today.

When you hear of someone coming to Christ, give praise to the One who brings salvation to mankind. Don’t praise the actions of the one who was saved. Sure, encourage them. Walk with them as they begin their journey with Christ. But all the glory for their salvation goes to Jesus. Ephesians 2:8-9 is another of my favorite passages about this. It says, “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

That passage was written by Paul. He knew he had done nothing to deserve his salvation. He knew “it is the gift of God.” Coming out of a works-based religion, he knew his salvation in Christ wasn’t based on his works. It was all from Him. Only Jesus deserved the glory. And here, in today’s verse, Paul is praising God that the churches recognized that and gave God the glory. Will you glorify God today for all He has done in your life. He is worthy of all glory!

I glorify Your name, O God, Who saved me from the wretched life I was living and placed me into Your eternal family.

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Accountability, Bible, Death, Fear, Reverence, Scripture, Sin

YOU DO NOT FEAR ME

MALACHI 3:5

“‘Then I will come near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, those who oppress the wage earner in his wages or the widow or the orphan, and those who turn away the stranger from justice and do not fear Me,’ says the LORD of armies.”

Oh, how our sins pile up in the face of God’s truth. That’s why I start every day in my Quiet Time in a period of confession. I confess any and all sins I have committed and even ask for forgiveness of those I may have committed but was not aware of. That can happen, you know. But more than likely, I am well aware of my sins and confess those by name. Why do I do that? Because I fear my Lord, not in a cringing, bone-shaking way. I revere His authority in my life.

The Lord lays out a list of sins before the people in today’s verse. A couple of these (sorcery and adultery) were worthy of death but had been tolerated by the priests. They all boil down to the last thing the Lord says, you “do not fear Me.” This is the bottom line. One commentator says this, “The words, ‘and fear not me,’ point to the source from which all these sins flowed, and refer to all the sinners mentioned before.” (Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament)

APPLICATION

I did a quick google search (yes, I use Google sometimes) and found 100 verses on the fear of the Lord. Hmmm, that might be important, you think. One of my favorite verses on this topic is Proverbs 1:7. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” How about these words of Jesus in Matthew 10:28, “‘And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.’” I could go on and on listing dozens of verses, but I think you get the picture. Do your own search of verses on this and spend some time just meditating on the verses.

One of my memory verses is on this subject. Psalm 86:11 reads, “Teach me Your ways, O Lord, that I may rely on Your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart that I may fear Your name.” That’s why I spend time each morning confessing my sins before Him. I do fear His name. I want an undivided heart.

Do you have a healthy fear of God? Are you aware of His power to deal with your sins at a moment’s notice? Yes, as a believer in Jesus, your sins are forgiven, but that does not give you license to sin, as the priests and people were doing in Malachi’s time. We must own our sins and confess those in our fear of God, our holy God. Do that now.

O Lord, You are the One I fear. Cleanse me, Father, from all my sins. Wash away my iniquities today.

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Belief, Bible, Covenant, Fear, Love, Reverence, Scripture

WHAT FEAR

MALACHI 2:5

“‘My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me and was in awe of My name.’”

There have only been a few times in my life when I was truly fearful. One of those times was on a very wet, muddy road up a mountain in Kenya. Another time was when I faced my first stem cell transplant. During both of those times I did not doubt the Lord or His presence, but for a fleeting second or two I began to rely on my own strength and not His.

The Lord reminds the priests that His covenant with Levi (specifically Aaron) was “one of life and peace.” It was everlasting. Then the Lord uses three different words that could be translated as “fear.” “Reverence” is mora which refers to a deed that should be feared. “Revered” is yare which means to be afraid, to hold in awe. And finally, “awe” is chathath, which gives us the picture of being prostrate on the ground. Do you think the Lord meant to say something about fear here?

APPLICATION

Fear still applies to us as believers, but not in a scary kind of way. No, our fear of the Lord rests in the love of Christ. Listen to these words in Isaiah 8:13. “Sanctify the Lord of hosts Himself, and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread.” Proverbs 13:13 says, “He who feareth the Lord will be rewarded.” And I love Ecclesiasticus 1:11. “The fear of the Lord is honor and glory and gladness and a crown of rejoicing.”

What is your fear based in? Do you fear life and all the uncertainties it brings, or do you fear the Lord and trust His protection and guidance? When we have that spiritually healthy fear of the Lord, we are able to rest in His goodness. If things are not going the way we want them to, we can still reverence Him and fear His name.

God does not want us to be scared of Him. That is not the kind of fear He is talking about. But He does want us to have a high regard for Him and His commands. He wants us to trust Him. He wants us to believe He will do what He says. Do you fear Him that way? Try it this week. As you pray, tell Him how much you honor and trust Him. Then let your reverence build.

Father, I fear Your name and hold You in the highest reverence and praise.

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Bible, Glory, Honor, Praise, Reverence, Scripture, Sincerity, Truth, Worship, Worthy

DEFILED WORSHIP

MALACHI 1:7

“‘You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, “How have we defiled You?” In that you say, “The table of the LORD is to be despised.”’”

Worship is something I take seriously. I hope you do also. In my ministry experience over the past 4+ decades, I have seen quite a diversity of worship. Some has been pointed more at man than God, unfortunately. As I preach or sing in worship, it is my prayer that everything done is pointed heavenward.

The Lord is chastising the priests of Israel because of their manner of worship. They were bringing defiled offerings to Him, and He was not pleased. Their excuse was that since the people were not taking it seriously, it did not matter what they did. They missed it. They were wrong.

APPLICATION

So, how do you know if you are doing it right? By listening to Him. By making it all about Him and not you. If you are a singer, sing to the Lord. If you are a preacher, preach to draw people to Christ, not yourself or your church. If you are sitting in the pew or chair, forget about yourself and concentrate on Him. If we shy away from the truth, we have despised worship as much as those priests who brought defiled offerings.

Psalm 96:7-9 is a beautiful picture of worship. “7 Ascribe to the LORD, you families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name; Bring an offering and come into His courtyards. 9 Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth.”

Now, if we do that, we are truly worshipping. This Sunday, as you are in church, reflect on today’s verse and this Psalm. Check your attitude at the door. Spend time BEFORE you go to church worshipping in your Quiet Time. Prepare your heart for worship before you ever set foot inside the church. Let Jesus see your heart and feel your reverence.

O Lord, my God, You are too wonderful for words. I worship You.

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Bible, Church, Reverence, Scripture, Worship

NO COMPARISON

HAGGAI 2:3

“‘Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?’”

The problem with comparing things is there is always something that is bigger and better. My family has lived in several homes. Each of them had their strengths and well…their weaknesses. We have never been about buying bigger and better. It was more about just meeting our needs. Most of these houses were provided to us as part of my job, so we really could not complain. But there is always that lure of something better, right?

The Israelites were mixed in their emotions about this newly renovated temple. Some of the older people had seen the original temple built by Solomon in all its glory, everything overlaid with gold. Fifty-nine years after its destruction, here they were, looking at an “inferior” temple – or so they thought. They were comparing the old and the new. Why? Because they had their own idea of what the temple should look like, not what it was – the house of God.

APPLICATION

Don’t be harsh with them. Their perception was their reality. We are the same, aren’t we? I have heard too many people complain about the color of the carpet in church. Others don’t like the chairs. The pews were holier. The stained glass windows are replaced. How dare they do that! And I haven’t even mentioned the lighting or the sound system.

You see, we also compare our image of what we think church should look like. Don’t get me wrong. I like the stained glass and pews. I prefer a well-lit service and a lower decibel of sound. But it is not about that. We are in God’s house. We don’t go to church to worship a building. We go to church to worship the occupant.

I have probably ruffled some feathers with this post. If I have offended you, I apologize. That was not my intention. I did intend, however, to get you to think. What are you comparing? What is your reason for doing that? God’s house is God’s house, whether it is a tarp with plastic chairs or a cathedral. It’s what happens inside that counts. Next Sunday, go to worship. Don’t just go to church. There’s a big difference.

Father, I worship You, no matter the setting. Help me keep my eyes looking up, not around at my surroundings.

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Bible, Majesty, Reverence, Scripture, Worship

SHOWING REVERENCE

HAGGAI 1:12

“Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, just as the LORD their God had sent him. And the people showed reverence for the LORD.”

You know, as a child the idea of showing reverence is a foreign concept. Do you bow down to someone or something? Are you a slave to them? Just what does it mean? Kids have no clue, but neither do adults, really. We think we do, but we don’t show it. Speaking in King James English does not make you reverent.

The governor, the high priest and the remnant of people finally obeyed the Lord, which led to repentance and the show of reverence. The Hebrew word for “reverence” means to fear or be afraid, to fear. In fact, one translation reads “put in fearful reverence.” After all God’s judgment, they were now ready to show Him reverence.

APPLICATION

I do not think any of us know how to truly show God the reverence that is due Him. We try but fall short. Listen to how Proverbs 1:7a uses this word. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” That’s pretty good, isn’t it? As believers, our fear of the Lord isn’t a scary thing. It is a reverent thing. We acknowledge Who He is and who we are not.

Next Sunday, when you go to church (you are going, right?), walk into your place of worship with a new attitude – an attitude of reverence. You don’t have to crawl in with your head bowed, but you should walk in knowing that you are going to be entering into a time of worship. Prepare your heart before you arrive. Confess your sins and be prepared to enter the throne room of heaven.

Reverence! Awe! We get to behold the King. We get to come before the Creator of the universe. We are called His children (read 1 John 1:12). We have the right to worship. And we worship with reverence. We worship with appreciation for all He has done for us. I think that is exactly what the people of Israel were feeling in Haggai 1:12.

We bow down. We lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus.

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Battles, Belief, Bible, Blessing, Praise, Rejoicing, Reverence, Scripture, Victors

AS FOR ME

HABAKKUK 3:18

“Yet I will triumph in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.”

That little phrase, “Yet I,” can be translated “as for me.” I kind of like that better. It reminds me of another verse – one from Joshua 24:15. “‘But if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served, which were beyond the Euphrates River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.’” I’ve always loved that verse.

Habakkuk is responding to what he said in the previous verse (read yesterday’s blog entitled “Even If”). If all fails, I will triumph in the Lord. I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. No matter what comes his way, Habakkuk had determined to worship and praise his God. He knew, because God had just spoken through him, that a lot of trials were coming. He still chose to be faithful.

APPLICATION

Can we say the same thing in our hearts? Can we say no matter what comes our way that we will worship our King? It’s easy to say that while everything is going well, but when the trials come, that’s another story. I am reminded on James 1:2-4. “2 consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Can you agree with Habakkuk and James? Testing is hard but worthwhile, in the end. As believers, we have the confidence that God is with us and will never desert us. We can honestly say just like Habakkuk, “As for me, I will triumph in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.”

As we approach the New Year, you may be writing down some New Year’s Resolutions. I know I have a few written down already. Some people call them goals or even mission statements. Call them what you want, but you won’t find a better one that today’s verse. Make it yours in 2023.

O Father, You are worthy of all praise. I will triumph in You. I will rejoice in You.

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Awe, Bible, Holiness, Reverence, Sanctification, Scripture, Worship

MY HOLY ONE

HABAKKUK 1:12

“Are You not from time everlasting, LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. You, LORD, have appointed them to deliver judgment; and You, O Rock, have destined them to punish.”

I don’t hold many things as holy. The Bible, of course, is holy. I consider baptism and communion as holy events. I even know some holy people. What does that mean – to be holy? That word in the Greek means to be set apart for a specific purpose. But let’s take a look at the word Habakkuk uses here. It might surprise you.

This title given to God here is one commonly used by another prophet, Isaiah. Just look at some of the times it is used by him. Isaiah 1:4; 5:19, 24; 6:3; 10:20; 12:6; 17:7; 29:19; 30:11-12, 15; 31:1. Wow! And that is only a few. Do you get the picture. This title is important. The Hebrew word means sacred. Habakkuk wants to start by addressing God in holiness and awe.

APPLICATION

We have lost that sense of awe when addressing God. In the attempt to make Him personal, which He is, we have forgotten that He is also a holy God, deserving of all our reverence and worship. How we show that I believe is important. Why? Because the world is watching us.

You would be hard pressed to find a preacher in an U.S. pulpit wearing a suit and tie today. But that same preacher will don that attire when conducting a funeral. Why? We are showing respect in the wrong places. Now, let me quickly say that what you wear to church does not make you holy. But how you present yourself to others, I think, shows Who you hold as holy.

Some churches on Sunday mornings could pass for night clubs with the decibel level of the music and the darkness of the rooms. I know I am meddling today. But I so desire for us to return to a spirit of holiness and reverence for our God. Don’t allow the world’s influence to creep into your worship. Stay holy!

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty. I want to cry holy.

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