REFERENCE & DEFERENCE - PART 2

Today's article is focused on reverence. And I want to start by enlightening us about the way God is highly revered and honoured in the great angelic assembly. In accordance with the maskil of Ethan, the Ezrahite, we are discussing about a God greatly feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all those who are around Him in heaven.

It actually reads, "For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord? Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings? In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; He is more awesome than all who surround him. Who is like you, Lord God Almighty? You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you" (Psalm 89:6-8 NIV). Got it? More below!

Reference: Hebrews 12:28 English Standard Version (ESV)

"Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe."

Godly reverence is the light of divine attention. It grants us attentive dominion over all things, a dominion unquestionably ascribed or bequeathed to every Christian as the effluence from his inward being, backed with acts of piety toward God.

Through a heartfelt, godly reverence toward God, we are renewed after the image of God and it positions us to perfectly grow in His knowledge, walk in righteousness, and work toward complete true holiness, because we delight in the fear of God. To that effect, 2nd Corinthians 7:1 says, "Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God" (NIV).

Those who have reverential fear for the Lord are considered invaluable to the Lord even far above lukewarm Christians, and such fear activates distinguishing favours in their lives. When you develop divinely-enabled reverence, it will also influence your relationship with fellow individuals, as well as your choices, when it comes to both light and weighty matters pertaining to human existence. For instance, when the king of Egypt secretly spoke to the Hebrew midwives to negatively manipulate the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and ensure that the male children were massacred, the Bible says in Exodus 1:17 (NKJV): "But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive." Regardless of the fact that their king was involved, they chose to fear the Lord and save the male children.

Reverential fear is a power-packed virtue. It heightens the solemnity of our faith walk with God. When you pin the virtue at the centre of your faculty of perception, it becomes the honourability that triggers in you, an awe-inspiring ability to serve God wholeheartedly. Furthermore, Jonah 1:16 (MSG) reads, "The sailors were impressed, no longer terrified by the sea, but in awe of God. They worshiped God, offered a sacrifice, and made vows." Beloved, the real force of godly reverence will empower you to discover the beneficial necessity and remarkable impact of offering spiritual sacrifices to the Lord, as you partake in all kinds of oblation.

Therefore, let the gracious influence of this significant virtue soak into your inward being, such that there can never be a discrepancy between your sincere, heartfelt honour to God and the outward evidence of your devotional compliance to His will. Stay tuned for part 3. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Psalm 19:9; Leviticus 19:32; Proverbs 16:6; 1 Samuel 12:14; Ephesians 5:21.

Exuberant Declaration:

In the realm of divine revelation, developing reverential fear for God intensifies the notion of gaining absolute access to plenitude of spiritual and material blessings. Thankfully, I increase in the multiplicity of its expression in my life, thereby perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. Hallelujah!