Genesis 22:12 (NKJV)
“And He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.’”
God had to wait until Abraham lifted the knife to slay his son before He spoke to Abraham to stop. Why did God wait till such a last minute? It was because God wanted to KNOW how much he feared (or revered God). So God is not sure about our level of reverence for Him until we are willing and ready to make the supreme sacrifices for Him. There would seem to be a direct correlation between our levels of personal sacrifice and our level of reverence for God. Reverence can easily be tested on the scale of sacrifice.
It must be clear therefore that what God is looking out for is not only the worship of singing and lifted hands but the heart condition that says, “I will give up everything for you.” This is reverence. This is true worship. This is what delights God. As Jesus said, God delights in those who will worship Him in spirit and truth, but this worship is not anchored on emotional sensations but highly priced personal sacrifice. That’s what God wants to find out if we have and are willing to give.
“Father in heaven, I cannot say that I can worship You in this way, but I desire to worship You in this way. I pray for the grace to worship You through the devotion of total sacrifice and obedience. May my reverence show by my surrender. In Jesus name. Amen.”
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