REVERENCE BEFORE GOD

Psalm 112:1-6 says, "Praise the Lord! How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands. Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed. They themselves will be wealthy, and their good deeds will last forever. Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous. Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly. Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will be long remembered." When our reverence before God becomes our passion in life, our relationship with God becomes intimate, producing joy in our hearts and leading us to do good to honor and please Him in everything that we do. As a result, God blesses us abundantly. God's blessings come in many different ways, such as material possessions, spiritual growth, health, career and school productivity, job opportunities, and joy and peace in our hearts in every circumstance. As God blesses us, we become more generous, compassionate, and devoted to pursuing righteousness.

One of the reasons we do not experience God's blessings is our lack of reverence before Him. We tend to focus more on meeting our needs or having the desires of our hearts than putting our relationship with God first to honor and worship Him. We need to remind ourselves that God is the source of every blessing. He knows what we need, what we want, and what we desire. Matthew 6:33 says, "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." The more we pursue contentment, the more we become restless; however, the more we pursue walking with God daily, the more we become content in life. Our reverence before God brings joy and peace to our lives. It leads us to do the right thing before God; thus, we become blessings to others. If we lack in revering God, we must pray to Him to change our hearts and give us hunger and thirst to revere Him. We need to pray that God will change our focus and priorities in life, in pursuing Him.

Our reverence before God is where everything starts in our relationship with Him. Reverence means to have deep respect and honor before God that leads us to worship and obey Him. 

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) How is my relationship with God today? Where is God in my priorities in life? What should I do to get back to revering God in my life?  

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them up to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, you know the condition of my heart today. Please help me to revere you in everything that I do. Change my heart and help me to refocus my priorities to seek you first. May my attitude reflect my reverence before you, and that godliness, kindness, and generosity are evident in my life. In your name, Jesus, I pray, Amen.