Reverence

Nothing is more important to victorious Christian living than a fear, a deep reverence for God. Attaining the wisdom needed to understand His work in my life demands a deep understanding of who He is. And the more I understand His majesty, the more I recognize my need to trust Him in all things. True wisdom after all is the recognition of how little wisdom I have, and how reliant I am on His giving me the wisdom I need. "If anyone lack wisdom, let Him ask of God." Asking God out of a reverence for who He is enables me to accept--to humbly submit to the symphony He is creating through my life--a song of praise to Him--beautiful, harmonic, resplendent--and yes, dissonant at times, but always a symphony reflecting His majesty.
Job having been given a revelation of God's majesty cries out, "I know that Thou canst do all things . . . things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. . . I will ask Thee, and do instruct me. I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear; but now my eyes see Thee. . . and I repent in dust and ashes."
David in repentance and reverence cries out, "against Thee, and Thee only have I sinned and done this evil in Thy sight. . . Behold, Thou dost desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part Thou will make me to know wisdom. . . create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."
When God's Spirit reveals the Father's majesty before my eyes, a deep, reverence for Him and the humility to submit to His orchestration of my life deepens my trust in who He is and my confidence in His wisdom.
Job's repentance created in him a compassion for his "friends," and he humbly and willingly interceded on their behalf before God. David's repentance created in him the wisdom to know that despite his sin, the majestic God of mercy would embrace the brokenness of a contrite spirit and humble heart. "There is a wideness in God's mercy like the wideness of the sea."
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." My reverence for His perfections create in me the humility to trust Him fully, the heart to intercede for those in need--even my biggest critics, and the broken-heartedness to rest in His mercy-filled delight in my repentance and submission to His will.
To "be courageous and to fear not" I must develop an unshakable confidence in His unchanging character--a fear, a reverence for my majestic God, the conductor of the beautiful melodies that make my life a song of praise to Him in the midst of the His people and the world around me..