March 1, 2019

Good Morning Fellow Travelers,

Read: Psalms 8

“God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.” (Psalms 89:7)

Reverence is a word seldom heard outside the church setting. It may even be a forgotten word in some church settings. We should be checking our level of reverence, especially in the house of the Lord.

Reverence is profound awe, respect, and love for God that moves us emotionally and propels us to obedience. A humble and submissive spirit allows us to hear from God and be reverent worshippers.

There are actions in worship that impact the level of reverence we show God. In the house of worship noise can be a deterrent to worship and as such is irreverent to God. We rob God of worship when our noise distracts others from meeting Him.

Our slouching, daydreaming, and preoccupation with everything but worship makes us irreverent. At Mt. Sinai, as given in Exodus 19, approaching God was serious business. When we say we love God and are irreverent we lie. Matthew 15:7,8 says, Ye hypocrites…This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips but their heart is far from me.” We fall into this category because of our irreverence in the house of God.

Being quiet and meditating a bit before the worship service will lead us into a spirit of reverence. To do that we must arrive ten minutes early instead of ten minutes late. It is not only respectful to those in charge of the service but allows us to physically and mentally prepare for worship.

Opening the songbook and our Bible when directed to do so aids in reverence. We are not in church to be entertained, amused, or to have our minds in neutral. It is irreverent for us to be a mere benchwarmer. Being a willing participant in the worship service shows reverence for God.

When reverence in worship becomes unimportant it means our relationship with God is suffering. Man exists to worship God. It is the most important obligation given to man. Reverence comes when we are aware we are in the very presence of God. Praying for the release of this week’s burdens makes room in our hearts for hearing God during our worship services.

Checking our level of reverence in worship assists in further honor of God. Leviticus 19:30 says, “Ye shall keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.” May God be patient with us.

– Dale Eby