Learned Reverence

“Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always” (Deuteronomy 14)

The Jews were to take 10% of their crops and flocks and eat those things in a feast before God in a place of his choosing. In doing so they would learn to “revere God always”

So it seems it may not be natural or accidental to give God the reverence he deserves… rather reverence is a learned behavior and it is learned by sacrifice... regular sacrifice.

Let me suggest that the first thing we should learn to sacrifice to God is our time. It takes time to assemble with other Christians to worship and It takes time to kneel and pray. It takes time to study God’s word and it takes time to meditate on His teachings. It also takes time to “love our neighbors as ourselves”

So I wonder how much time we should sacrifice to God… 10% like in tithing? If so… what a deal… we have 90% of our time to please ourselves.

Let me suggest something else for your consideration. Do you suppose it could be true that the more you sacrifice the more you come to reverence God? If so then giving up only 10% of whatever would not lead to very deep reverence would it?

Here’s the thing… when God gave up his son for us he purchased and owns us.. lock, stock and barrel and when we believed in him and were baptized into the blood of his son we recognized and accepted that fact.

Learn to revere God by matching His 100% sacrifice (Jesus Christ) with your own total sacrifice. After all the only ones who will live with God in eternity are those who have forsaken all to revere Him.