It has been my personal practice for many years to meditate on God’s Word as a way to renew my mind…as a way to overcome the lies of the enemy…as a way to encourage my own soul…as a way to exalt and magnify the Lord in my own life.
One day, while meditating on the majesty of Jesus…I was reminded that reality is much more than I can see with my physical eyes. What a sobering thought – to know that because of the blood of Jesus I have immediate and constant access to the reality of and the presence of Almighty God.
Reality is that, regardless of how mature I become in my faith, I am at constantly at war with the enemy and with my flesh. And it really is a constant battle to be able to keep my gaze fixed on the reality of spiritual truth.
One of those anchor truths I cling to and stand upon is this: God is pure and holy and worthy of praise. I do not wait until I am all “confessed up” concerning my sin, but enter into His presence boldly, much as a child who runs into his Father’s arms without one moment of hesitation.
It is in His presence that the light of His holiness shines on my sin. It is knowing that He loves me – His lovingkindness - that draws me to confess and repent. At that point, my worship takes on a whole new level of gratitude.
To give reverence to God is to approach Father God with the deepest respect and admiration. In other words, I give Him the highest place of esteem in my life.
To honor God means to exalt Him for all He has done for me. He is the One Who found me and saved me. He is the One who set me free and gave me a brand new identity. My identity has nothing to do with me. My salvation has nothing to do with my ability or talent. He is the one and only One who is worthy of that honor…so I honor Him for Who He is in the highest place in my life.
To praise God is to give Him thanks for Who He is. The attitude of gratitude is one of the greatest weapons in my arsenal against the lies of the enemy…and I use it daily in my life…in spite of how I feel…in spite of my circumstances…in spite of what others think of me…in spite of the lies of the enemy. When we praise and honor and show God reverence, we actually join with the realm of heaven in worship.
And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY [is] THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.” Revelations 4:8 NASB
Let us give reverence and honor and praise to our God this day and join the realms and ranks of heaven as we exalt Father God for Who He is in our lives!
"Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” Revelations 4:11 NASB
Let us never forget that we were the lost ones. We did not find Jesus. He found us! Let that simple truth cause you to give reverence and honor and praise to Father God throughout the course of your day today…or better yet, each and every day! Put on the attitude of gratitude and watch how it affects the way you think…and watch victory flood into your mind as a result of this simple yet powerful attitude!
Dennis Jernigan
To listen to a podcast version of this teaching, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/give-reverence-and-honor-and-praise/
Picture courtesy of https://pixabay.com/photos/bible-worship-christian-religious-1948778/