Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)
Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who fears the Lord [with awe-inspired reverence and worships Him with obedience],
Who delights greatly in His commandments.
His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever. Psalm 112:1-3

I was raised Catholic but in my childish mind I always felt like there was a missing element when I attended mass. Perhaps because in between I was exposed to other denominations that worshiped in a different way.

I recently attended mass thanks to my mother and as I sat there (ready to keep checking the time because I convinced myself I would be bored for want of a better word) I experienced a peace and calm I have not felt in a long time.

It made me think (as a friend eloquently puts it) that if everyone’s heart was where it should be (while worshiping in unison), then, this was the real deal. I say that because it felt genuine, not filled with the  emotional noise that sometimes make you wonder and most times prove to be a distraction more than anything else (not judging anyone). It brought to mind the 24 elders worshiping God in heaven (am I going too far with this).

I say all of that to speak to the above passage of scripture that deals with true reverence for God and what the promises are to God’s people who truly worship him and fear Him. That they will be blessed, their offspring will be mighty and blessed, wealth and riches will be in their home along with righteousness forever.

The reverence I speak of is not fear that causes us to cower as most people who do not have an understanding of the Bible would be quick to say. This reverence is understanding God’s sovereignty, it’s an awe that shows we understand His power. That we acknowledge all that He has done and can do for us. It is understanding that He is holy and must be revered. We go to our Father knowing how He cares for us, we know His position and so we enter into His presence with this awareness. We do not go to God any way that we want to, but we go to Him ready to worship with true reverence because that is what He deserves.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That is where we should start and the rest will follow.

Let us ask God today to show us where we are falling short. Let us meditate on the “Fear of the Lord” and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us into true worship.

(Contributor: Nadia Swearing)

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