REVERENCE Names or terms used to make reference to our God are used to teach us about our God and how we need to approach Him.  In Psalm 111:9 in the KJV of the Bible, we learn that “Holy and reverend is His name.”  The New King James and the New American Bible both say, “Holy and awesome is His name.”   The term for reverend or awesome can also be translated “fearful.”  God and references to Him are to be expressed by us with great awe and the deepest respect.  All too often we are careless and do not honor our God as we should when we communicate to one another and include our God in our communication. Christians choose to show respect to God rather than show respect to religious leaders who may use a term such as “Reverend” as a title.  Churches choose to use the term “Reverend” one way, and  Scripture chooses to use the term “Reverend” in another way.  Obviously, such double meanings -- one to a religious leader, and one to God, Himself -- can at best be confusing or at least send some mixed messages as to what we are saying and what we believe.  All the Christians I know will choose to be     consistent and will never refer to a religious leader with the term, “Reverend,” which is used in Scripture to refer to God.  Obviously, this would be disrespectful to God to refer to another human being with a term that is used to show honor and respect to our God. Yes, I know some think we are  straining at a gnat here.  Know my heart … that I mean no disrespect to varying religious systems that have no problem with calling a human “Reverend.”  My heart will do all it can to make sure that I will not carelessly or unintentionally or accidentally offend my Holy and Reverend God.   If this offends some of my fellow humans, then so be it.   In America we all live in a rush-rush world where our time is limited, and we all too often find that we have no time in our daily lives to express our deep, reverential respect for our God.  We can show reverence to our God by making time to slow down so that we can meditate and reflect upon who we are and where we are going.  “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Ps. 46:10).  Show reverence for your God and make personal time to pray, meditate, and reflect upon the realities of life as He sees things. Reverence for God is expressed by Abraham in Gen. 17:3 when he fell on his face as God talked with him.  When one is keenly aware of the presence of God, then that place is holy ground.  Moses took off his sandals when he was told by God in whose presence he was standing (Ex. 3:5).  While at the foot of Mt. Sinai, the camp of Israel trembled when God made His presence known (Ex. 19:16).  We clay beings need to know our place.  Some strive with their Maker.  It is acceptable for clay to strive with clay but not acceptable for clay to strive with its Maker (Isa. 45:9). Christians have reverence or deep respect for God’s word.  The Hebrew writer puts it this way.  We are to “serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Heb. 12:28).  This means that we are to yield before God as we surrender our feelings, thoughts, and opinions and make them submissive to what God Himself has to say in His holy word.  Christians live their lives “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).  The word of (from) God is our religious authority.  Christians understand that those who do not accept Christ’s   authorized word given by Himself and His Holy Spirit- inspired apostles and prophets of the first-century church are all ultimately to be judged by this word in the last day (Jn. 12:48).  Everyone knows that since this word has been given and preserved, multitudes have added to it, changed it, and devalued it.  Christians know how to do the will of the Father because they reverence God’s word by knowing and doing the will of the Father in heaven (Mt. 7:21).  We hear the sayings of Christ and do them, and in so doing we build our faith not on shifting sand but on a rock (Mt. 7: 24-27).  The written and preserved word we reverence from John teaches us that the things written are for believers so that believers in their reverence can KNOW (not just positively think) that they have eternal life (1 Jn. 5:13). In Acts chapter 5 God strikes dead two people who choose to ignore, devalue, and disbelieve His word.   They thought they would not be caught.  They thought it would not matter if they modified God’s word with their will -- just a bit.  The summary effect upon the church speaks of the “great fear” (reverence, awe) that came upon them all (Ac. 5:11).  When God speaks, all need to listen!  God does not strike people dead today who devalue, ignore, or tune out His word.  God is patient or long-suffering; however, as we have already seen in Jn. 12:48, on the last day (judgment day) believe it or not or like it or not ALL will fairly and equally be judged by the authorized, inspired, and preserved word we call the Bible.  We reverence this and in so doing express our faith and dependence upon the Son of God.  We are given assurance that our faith can’t, won’t, and hasn’t changed since the days of the inspired writers of the New Testament (Eph. 2:19-21).  The saints of all times remain steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in God’s work (1 Cor. 15:58).