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Reverence — Knowing God and Fearing Him

Bryan Schiele
06/01/25 - Sun Worship

“A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.” (Luke 6:40)

Let’s continue our “Cross Training” journey. Today, we’re moving on to reverence, which involves knowing God, fearing him, worshipping him, and living in holiness. We’ll take a look at two aspects of dedication — knowing God and fearing him. So how can humans know the God of the universe?

Knowing God (Truth)

Develop a Deeper Relationship with God

Tony Hawk — the most famous professional skateboarder on the planet — loves to post about how often he’s unrecognized or mistaken for someone else. Some people confuse him for Lance Armstrong, Tom Brady, or even Tony Stark. Even when he reveals his name, some folks say, “Oh, like the skateboarder? I wonder what he’s up to these days.” How embarrassing! I’m sure some days he’d love to say, “Don’t you know who I am?” rather than flying under the radar. But that’s a minor slight compared to the lack of recognition given to the Creator of all we see and enjoy.

What You Need to Know

When we talk about knowing someone, we usually have two different things in mind. First, we know information. The better you know someone, the more you know about them. In the same way, to know God is to know who he is, to understand his character, attributes, and desires (cf. Jer. 9:24). But we also have a relationship with those we know. You can understand a little about someone (like Tony Hawk!) and not even recognize them when you see them face to face. Job had heard a lot about God “by the hearing of the ear,” but in his encounter with God, he humbled himself and repented (Job 42:5-6). Through Hosea, God exposed his people’s lack of knowledge about him (Hos. 4:6). But the Lord’s goal was to know his people like a husband knows his bride (Hos. 2:19-23; cf. Hos. 6:6).

If we open our hearts, we can look around at creation and recognize the hand of almighty God (Rom. 1:19-20). Of course, observation can’t teach us everything, but it should give us a sense of awe at his goodness and power, leaving us wanting to know him more. Do you acknowledge and seek God, or are you among the indifferent? “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Rom. 1:21).

If we seek God, we’ll come to know him — not by our wisdom, but by believing what he reveals about himself. He reveals himself in his word: “For ... the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe” (1 Cor. 1:21). But we see God the clearest through Jesus, God the Son (Heb. 1:1-3). Jesus said, “He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me” (John 7:28-29). Jesus’ mission was to restore a close relationship between humanity and the Lord. “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). To know Jesus is to know God, so “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

What You Need to Do

Cultivate an adoring interest in who God is. To contemplate God is to give the mind and heart its highest occupation. With each passage you read, ask, “who is God?” Meditate on his works (Psalm 143:5). Find comfort at night in his goodness. As David said, “On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night” (Psalm 63:6).

And when you learn something about God, imitate it. To see God’s face is to be transformed by it (cf. 2 Cor. 3:18). Don’t live like those who “profess to know God, but ... deny him by their works” (Titus 1:16). To know God is to love like God (1 John 4:7-12) and pursue his holiness (1 Peter 1:14-17). Remember that you are God’s, and he is yours (Heb. 8:10-12). It’s the bedrock foundation of your identity now. Holding onto this relationship, we’ll never fall (2 Peter 1:3-8). For “now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back” (Gal. 4:9). What a “firm foundation” — even in unsteady days — to remember that “the Lord knows those who are his” (2 Tim. 2:19).

Through the Week

• Read — Matt. 6:6-13; Jer. 31:31-34; Hos. 4:1-6; Prov. 2:1-8; 1 John 4:7-12
• Reflect — Ask yourself, “How close is my relationship with God?”
• Request — Pray, “Lord, may I come to know you better each day” (cf. 2 Peter 3:18).
• Respond — Stay up late or wake up early to meditate on God's steadfast love for you.
• Reach Out — Ask someone “What attribute of God do you most want to emulate?”

Fearing the Lord (Heart)

Fear the Lord with Reverence and Joy

While adults enjoy the warmth and flickering light of a fire pit, little boys tend to have other plans. If you’ve ever seen a young kid wielding a fiery stick, waving it around like a sword — typical boy behavior — you’ve probably heard the grownups warn them to stop. Why? Because those who understand the nature of fire need to educate the younger to recognize the power which fire has. So how does our love for God and recognition of his power lead us to fear him?

What You Need to Know

In its first sentence, the Bible introduces us to the extraordinary being who created the universe (Gen. 1:1), bringing order to chaos and filling it with life. It continues recounting his deeds of might, justice, wisdom, and love — from Noah’s flood (Gen. 6-8) to Pharaoh’s plagues (Ex. 7-12), from tablets on a trembling mountain (Ex. 19-20) to a cross under a darkened sky (Matt. 27). It’s enough to leave the reader breathless, amazed, and deeply humbled.

Someday, God will judge all people (2 Cor. 5:10; Acts 17:30-31). Knowing who will evaluate the quality of our lives gives us a clearer perspective about our lives. “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Eccl. 12:13-14). But that doesn’t mean he wants his children to live in fear of punishment. We have confidence and security about our future through our relationship with him (1 John 4:17-18).

If we want to live well, fearing God is our first step toward wisdom (Prov. 9:10). Regardless of what else we know, if we don’t recognize who God is and hold him in the highest honor, we don’t know anything about life’s most important questions. How can we discern the right way and overcome temptation? It’s “by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil” (Prov. 16:6). Do we mean a cringing, panicked fear that makes us withdraw from God? No, rightly understood, fearing God draws us nearer to him, giving our lives stability and meaning (Prov. 14:26-27).

What You Need to Do

Take your choices seriously. We examine ourselves (2 Cor. 13:5), and if we see any false way, we repent. We work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12). With stakes this high and a God this awesome, how could we take serving him lightly? If we cautiously handle a small flame around a campfire, knowing its power to set a forest ablaze (James 3:5), how much more should we respect our all-powerful God? And this knowledge leads us to persuade others to repent (2 Cor. 5:11). Like warning someone about a dangerous fire (2 Peter 3:9-12), we point to the Savior who can rescue.

Let your understanding of who God is affect how you worship and pray. Though he is near us, he is not our “buddy.” He’s our God. It’s enough to make us ask, “Who am I that you should think on me?” (Psalm 8:1-9). So we approach him in both joy and fear. When those who first saw the empty tomb heard that Jesus had risen, they ran to tell the others “with fear and great joy” (Matt. 28:8). The earliest Christians had a spirit of gladness (Acts 2:46), but also awe (Acts 2:42) and fear (Acts 5:11). Knowing God, we recognize his fierce power and holy “otherness” — distinct and wonderfully set above everything. Every interaction with God mingles reverence and awe with our joy and love in a relationship unlike any other (Heb. 12:28-29).

Through the Week

• Read — Matt. 10:26-33; Deut. 10:12-22; Psalm 33:1-22; Heb. 12:18-29; 2 Cor. 5:6-11
• Reflect — Ask yourself, “What humbles me when I consider God’s greatness?”
• Request — Pray, “May all the earth fear you! May all stand in awe of you!” (cf. Psalm 33:8).
• Respond — Find an example of God’s power and magnificence in nature, then worship him.
• Reach Out — Ask someone, “How has fearing the Lord changed how you live?”