REVERENCE
J.D. Ketterman
Today’s Scripture: “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, for our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12: 28-29 [ESV]
Theme: Let us offer reverent, acceptable worship to our all-powerful God.
TEACH YOUR CHILDREN WELL
My Grandfather was the cantor in the Romanian Orthodox Church. Most Sundays, even as a small child, he let me sit next to him in the little pew beside the altar. I was surrounded by icons, paintings, and stained glass of Jesus, Mother Mary, the Apostles, and the Saints. These depicted their history of triumphs and ultimate sacrifices. Many were graphically detailed. There was the All-Seeing Eye above the altar which was watching over me…always. All of these were daunting to a child, but I was always safe next to my grandfather.
He gently explained their significance and the good that came from them. That I was always under Jesus’s protection. For “The Lord is my rock and fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2, ESV). He held me up, and taught me to read and recite the Lord’s Prayer off an embroidery on the wall. He taught me that each word had a powerful, sacred, and significant spirit that I should take to heart; that the spirit and the truth of worship is in that prayer that Jesus taught us all to declare and affirm.
REVERENT, ACCEPTABLE WORSHIP
The lovely buildings, the religious art and stained glass may help focus our attention on God’s glory. But the true Church is made up of His followers, not of bricks or mortar. Worship is about our hearts and spirits doing what is pleasing to God, acknowledging that all that we have is His. All we have has been given to us out of Love. By His mercies, we can have redemption. For this, He deserves our worship and praise.
GETTING IN THE SPIRIT
Yet to come into His presence, we must also deal with our sin, recognize it, ask His forgiveness, and beseech His help. The Holy Spirit awakens us to any unresolved sin in our lives and the realization that we cannot conquer it without His guidance. We know when we are pleasing to God. All He asks when we worship is that we bring something of worth that is pleasing to Him, to His alter: ourselves. “For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen” (Romans 11:36, NIV). We are to be living sacrifices to God.
The Bible teaches us to fear what He can do, but love what He does do. For these, He must be continuously and purposely praised in all circumstances. He is God, the creator of all things and has put eternity in our hearts. For this, we learn to be eternally grateful.
Prayer: Father God, keep in my heart the vision of who You are and what You can do. Take away all that is not You. With Your Spirit in my heart, I can accomplish Your plan for me and it will bring You glory. You are worthy of my best. I am grateful that You have given me all I need, the greatest gift of eternity through your Son, Jesus Christ, whom we declare our Lord and Savior. It is in His Name I pray. Amen
Read: John 4:24; Romans 11:33-36; Psalm 103:1-5; 2 Corinthians 3:16-18
Weekly Memory Verse:
“Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;” Psalm 95:6, NIV