Reverence

Reverence

Serve the Lord with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Psalm 2:11

Reverent fear”—now that’s an interesting word combination! Let’s look closely at each of the two words.

Reverence—“a feeling of profound awe and respect. Because of his majesty and holiness, God arouses a feeling of reverence in those who worship and serve him.”^a

Fear—“a feeling of reverence, awe, and respect, or an unpleasant emotion caused by a sense of danger. Fear may be directed toward God or humankind, and it may be either healthy or harmful.”^b

Reverent fear, for the Christian, is not a harmful fear that includes a sense of terror or dread. In God’s Word, Christians are taught not to fear other humans, because although people may harm our bodies they cannot touch our souls. But the Bible also teaches that wicked people do fear others, acting deceitfully as they attempt to hide their sins. Unbelievers have every reason to fear God as well because they stand condemned before him. This is usually not the kind of fear that leads them to repentance. Quite the opposite; the unbeliever tries to hide from God until he or she gets a glimpse of God’s love and grace.

But healthy fear includes reverence and respect. Proverbs 9:10 teaches that the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” All of our work, all of our actions, and all of our service to God must come from a heart that has a profound sense of awe and respect for him. May our children see that in our lives so they will want to serve the Lord respectfully themselves.

Father,

May we treat you with the reverence you so deserve. When we experience your love and grace, we want to do that. Please help us model reverence for you to our children. Amen.