The word “reverence” means “deep respect,” which is exactly the attitude we should always have regarding God, His son Jesus, and the Bible.
In Exodus, when God chose Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, He spoke to him through a burning bush. (Exodus 3:5, NIV) “‘Do not come any closer,’ God said. ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.’” Doing this was an act of reverence for God and His message.
In the book of John (see John 2:13-16), it was deep reverence for God that caused Jesus to overturn the tables of the money changers in the temple. He knew they were cheating the people and not treating God’s house with the proper respect His father deserved.
Daniel (see Daniel 6:10) continued to pray to God even after it was declared against Persian law to do so. He knew the punishment was to be thrown into a hungry lion’s den, but his reverence for God was so great that he could not stop praising and honoring Him. By God’s grace and protection, Daniel was saved.
Sometimes the Bible tells us to “fear the Lord,” but the word “fear” in some cases really means “reverence.” For example, 1 Samuel (12:24, Berean Study Bible) tells us, “Above all, fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you.” This Scripture isn’t saying we should be “afraid” of God, but instead that we should have deep reverence when we serve Him and always remember the blessings He has provided.
How can WE show reverence?
First, we can pray with the highest respect towards God, recognizing His mighty power and greatness while remembering how small we are.
Second, we should pay attention when we are learning about God or studying the Bible, either in a class or at home. We shouldn’t be distracted because we are receiving knowledge that is very important for our lives. The Bible is God’s written word so it deserves our reverence.
Third, we can recognize that meeting together with other Christians is a privilege and a blessing, so we want to be on our best behavior, especially in a church setting. In this way, we reverence God because we respect His people and the time we spend with them.
So, what is reverence? It’s an attitude of deep respect we should always have for God, his son Jesus, and the Bible. When we pray, study the Bible or meet with other Chrstians, we should have a respectful, reverential attitude for the blessings God has provided for us.