The first time I felt any reverence for God was when I was a child riding in the car with my grandmother as Michael W. Smith’s song, ‘Awesome God’ played over the radio. At that moment, I didn’t think of God as ‘The Man Upstairs’ or my buddy. Instead, I began to realize God was and is fiercely jealous of our hearts. He is the One whose very words can create anything out of nothing. When He speaks, the mountains tremble and the universe bends an ear to listen and obey. God is the One who penetrates the darkness of our world.
That’s because it’s Satan’s goal to keep us afraid of the dark. The enemy wants us to fear what can hurt us, disable us, and destroy us instead of revering the One who can cast out the enemy and his tactics of fear. But in our fallen world, the idea of fearing the Lord has been traded for being afraid of the dark or being more afraid of the enemy. It is a byproduct of this fallen world that we live in. But we cannot fear what the enemy wants us to fear, nor can we continue to treat God so casually. To know God, to love Him, and respect Him is to have a reverence for Him. The Bible uses fear and reverence interchangeably. To revere the Lord is to fear him in the deepest sense of the word. But not as one fears the dark but as one reveres God as the Creator of the universe. To fear God is to dread displeasing or disappointing Him. This is not fear in the sense of being terrified of evil. It is a posture of deep respect and awe.
What does the Bible say about reverence and how can we be reverent in our daily lives? The question is worth asking in a culture that has forgotten Him.
What Is the Biblical Definition of Reverence for God?
Reverence is honor and respect that is felt intrinsically, deeply and is outwardly demonstrated. It’s similar to encountering the ocean for the first time or standing in the middle of a hurricane, or witnessing a life-saving miracle happen before your very eyes. It’s the feeling of awe, fear, and wonder with respect. Because of the Lord God’s awesome power and majesty, He is deserving of the highest level of reverence.
What Does the Bible Say about Reverence?
The Bible records reverence as the instinctive response of everyone who encounters the awesome magnificence and splendor of the Lord God Almighty (Leviticus 19:30, Numbers 20:6; Judges 13:20; 1 Chronicles 21:16). These passages define reverence as having a deeply profound, awe-inspiring respect. The idea of reverence for God started with God. In the Old Testament, the Lord taught the Israelites how to show proper reverence by giving them hundreds of laws related to purity, holiness, and worship (Deuteronomy 5).
Adrian Rogers says, “God’s Word says we should fear God (Deuteronomy 6:13). Godly fear, though, may be better understood as profound reverence. This reverence is our response to God's power (Joshua 4:23-24), goodness (1 Samuel 12:24), judgment (Revelation 14:7), and forgiveness (Psalm 130:4). Godly fear is also constructive, leading to wisdom (Proverbs 1:7), purity (Psalm 19:9), and satisfaction (Proverbs 14:27).”
The Bible uses reverence and fear interchangeably. To revere God is to fear Him in the fullest sense of the word. To fear God is to have a wholesome dread of ever displeasing the Lord. That implies our love for Him, as well as our awe of Him. He isn’t to be trifled with. God had given the Israelites commands that stipulated reverence for God and for His dwelling place, the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple (Leviticus 16:2). The Holy of Holies inside the Tabernacle required the highest level of reverence. Those who disobeyed God’s command about entering the Holy of Holies died instantly (Leviticus 22:9; Numbers 4:20; 1 Chronicles 13:9-10). This defined and emphasized holiness and the necessity for reverence in the presence of the Lord.
The Israelites were commanded to have a reverence for the sanctuary of God and for God, Himself as Psalm 2:11 says, “Worship the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling.” Psalm 5:7 says, “But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house, At Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You.” And my favorite Scripture about serving and revering the Lord, Hebrews 12:28, “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe.”
How Do We Develop a Spirit of Reverence?
To be reverent means living with the constant, conscious awareness that we are in the presence of an awesome, holy God. He is with us in all that we do. He sees the heaviness of our hearts. He knows the questions in your thoughts. He knows the number of hairs on your head at any given moment. Our mighty God loves us with an everlasting love, and He is always concerned about our welfare. All that we need, He provides through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. God should always be revered and adored. He should have our utmost respect.
God talks about reverence as a learned skill and calls us to practice it in our daily lives. Psalm 33:8 says, “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.” Deuteronomy 6:13 says, “You shall fear only the Lord your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.” Having reverence for God means that we acknowledge His lordship in every area of our lives and we obey what He commands.
22 Ways to Develop A Spirit of Reverence for God
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” 1 Corinthians 10:31
Developing a reverence for the Lord is a practice that creates awareness of God in our lives. God’s Words show us that reverence for God is doing everything in word and deed out of love and awe for God. Revering the Lord is like having a light illuminating our path in the dark. Here are 22 ways taken from Scripture to develop reverence for God in your life.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength remembering that Jesus says that those who love Him will obey Him.
Recognize that God’s wisdom is infinitely greater than any human wisdom. Trust Him more than self.
Meditate on His Word. Memorize it.
Delight yourself in the Lord and trust Him to use all things, the good and the bad for your good and His ultimate glory.
Desire to know Him. In prayer, ask Him to have a desire and thirst for His Word.
Praise Him in anything and everything. Acknowledge there is power in His name!
Acknowledge that He is the greatest, most precious gift on this earth. Nothing—all the riches of the earth, all the luxuries, and even wildest dreams—cannot be compared to the treasure of Him.
Honor Him in word and deed—watch, read, listen, view only what is holy, edifying, and pleasing to the Lord.
Seek God’s approval alone, not the approval of people or the world.
Ask God to help see the world as He sees it. Ask Him to give You His eyes, His heart, and His mind.
Desire to live a holy life, a set-apart life in obedience – not by your power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit working in you.
Thank Him for His goodness throughout your day.
Trust and believe Him.
Recognize the Bible is the ultimate authority of God. It is a love letter written to us—not for us.
Exalt Him far above anyone or anything else in your life. Make Him more important than anything or anyone.
Recognize He reigns in sovereignty over the universe.
Hunger to learn more about His wisdom, His Word, and His character.
Acknowledge that God’s Word is truth and life. Build your life on Him and Him alone.
Ask God to show you any sin in your heart so He can empower you to turn from it.
Hate sin the way He does while keeping the greatest commandment to love others as He loves you.
Hunger to learn more about His wisdom, His Word, and His character. Know the Word, hide it away in your heart.
Love the Body of Christ and work for the love and unity of His people.
For further reading:
What Does it Mean That God Is a Consuming Fire?
What Are the Most Important Things to Understand about the Nature of God?
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Jair Ferreira Belafacce
