Reverence in Heart
Greetings my beloved sisters! I am praying that you all received a touch from the LORD yesterday during the course of studying His Word together. I, myself, spent the evening practicing the concepts we have just begun to discuss in this study and felt humbled at all I still have to learn. The practice of surrender is never easy (especially for those old-school independent types - Know anyone like that? – wink, wink), but the blessings of a surrendered life unto the LORD are well worth any amount of pride swallowing that must occur.
To begin our devotional today, I wanted to discuss the power of words and give us a solid base for defining some of the more difficult concepts we are about to tackle. I heard a Creation scientist once say, “God promised to preserve His Word, not the English language.” This spoke volumes to me as a Christian. I hear many words through the course of being taught as a disciple, but the meaning of these words to me as a Christian (living in a “double-minded” society) can get a bit more than “watered-down” in their literal meanings. Our words have power, but the English language no longer carries the same powerful meanings with it, as it did when the Bible itself was translated to English so many years ago. With this in mind, I will be referencing the Noah Webster 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language
when defining words and new concepts for our study.
Today we will start off where we left off in “Reverence in Heart”. In order to understand what we are committing ourselves to, let me define a few choice words . . . so we can all be on the same page. I will be highlighting the definition that best applies to our study.
Due: n. 1. That which is owed; that which one contracts to pay, do or perform to another; that which law of justice requires to be paid or done.
2. That which office, rank, station, social relations, or established rules of right or decorum, require to be given, paid or done.
3. That which law or custom requires; as toll, tribute, fees of office, or other legal prerequisites.
Reverence: n. Fear mingled with respect and esteem; veneration.
Veneration: n. The highest degree of respect and reverence; respect mingled with some degree of awe; a feeling or sentiment excited by the dignity and superiority of a person, or by the sacredness of his character, and with regard to place, by its consecration to sacred services.
Heart: n. 4. The seat of the affections and passions, as of love, joy, grief, enmity, courage, pleasure, etc. Example [“The heart is deceitful above all things. Every imagination of the thoughts of the heart is evil continually.” Scripture]
6. The seat of the understanding; as an understanding heart.
7. The seat of the will; hence, secret purposes, intention or designs. Examples [“There are many devices in a man’s heart. The heart of kings in unsearchable. The Lord tries and searches the heart. David had it in his heart to build a house of rest for the ark,” Scripture]
*The preceding quotes were taken directly from Noah Webster 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language
.We established in our study yesterday that Reverence in Heart must begin with Christ. I posed the question from our study “Have I put my faith in Christ’s death and resurrection as the only means of salvation?” I will not assume that all who read this study online are equally yoked in all areas, therefore; we must establish the foundation of all reverence to be given, begins with JESUS CHRIST. He is the Rock on which all has been built and the grace given by God through which we are saved. Once we have established, in our own hearts that all faith has been put into Jesus Christ, only then may me move to the next point in showing Reverence in Heart. Now we can move to today’s devotional questions and scriptures:
“Do I truly fear God and seek, by His grace, to obey Him? Is my relationship with Him even more important to me than my relationship with my husband?”
The scriptures for this devotional are as follows – Matthew 10:37, Proverbs 31:30, Exodus 20:3, Colossians 3:2 – Take the time to pray and read each of these scriptures. The focus scripture I will be using is Mark 12:30.
“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” Mark 12:30 NKJV
I consider this scripture, as I’m sure do most of you, essential to all Christian living. It is the first and greatest commandment according to Christ Himself. (Matthew 22:37-40) In regard to our point of study, I find it has great significance. When you first fear and seek God in obedience, only then will “all these things be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:32-33) Seeking God and being in right relationship to Him is pivotal to our lives, our marriages and the heritage we give to our children. If this one point is out of sync, all of our other relationships will, eventually, falter and fail.
In regards to changing the culture in your marriage, which is the focus of this study, if your focus is solely on your spouse or yourself, then you are spending your time idly. It was explained to me once, in this very simple manner. When your eyes are focused on God and your husband’s focused on God, you will eventually meet one another where God is.
You may be saying to yourself, “That is all well and good, but my husband is not seeking God. Now what do I do?” Well, in short, you follow the same steps and requirements with being reverent in heart, as the rest of us. Please, let me explain.
God’s requirements of me as His child and as the help meet to my husband, DO NOT hinge on whether or not my husband is being obedient to God’s Word. God requires obedience of me without regard to my husband’s behavior. Please know that if this is the case in your marriage, I would love to share my own personal testimony and join you in prayer. Take comfort, my dear friend, in the fact that God is able and willing to deliver you and your husband. Trust in Him fully and focus on His goodness, His mercy and His faithfulness in and through all the circumstances of your life.
“The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” Psalm 18:2 NKJV
Let us together sisters, pray that the LORD would push out all fear, discontent, discouragement, bitterness and rebellion in our own hearts. Let God shine His Light into your heart and help you uncover that which hinders your reverence to Him. I pray that we will all together, be rightly aligned with God’s Word, and seek Him this day first, and all the days there after.
Be sure to use the checklist given in yesterday’s study. Use it each day to daily affirm your commitment to submitting yourself in your marriage, “As Unto the Lord
”.May blessings flow to you, your husband and family as we continue this journey together, in Jesus’ name.
In Christ’s service,
Sister Mac
(a.k.a. Joyful Socks Mom)
Tomorrow, we will continue with Reverence of Heart. We will be discussing pleasing God, bringing Him glory through your marriage. I will also be posting our first weekly Memory Verse.
*Please remember to make comments directly to this blog if possible. Simply click on the title of this post above (in the email) and you will be redirected to the blog. Once there, you can post a comment at the bottom of the lesson.*
• Quotations used are taken directly from the book As Unto the Lord
by Pam Forester unless otherwise sited in this post.Marriage is a Gift from God
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