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A Servant’s Reverence (Psalm 119:38)

Establish Your word to Your servant, as that which produces reverence for You.
Psalm 119:38

A proper perspective of self is essential to have a proper perspective of God. The psalmist self-identifies as God’s servant. The more we understand who we are, the more inclined we will be to have an appropriate reverence for God. Conversely, a poor understanding of who we are apart from Christ and who we are in Christ will lead to a much more casual and careless relationship with the Lord.

Many times, servants actually despise their master. We can often see this reality in our culture in the boss/employee relationship. The employee may be in their position by necessity, not by desire. Respect is often a facade that is given for the purpose of personal gain.

This should never be the case for those who have a personal relationship with the living God. Being a servant to the greatest Master should be our supreme delight. Reverence should never be for the purpose of manipulation – getting God to give us what we want. It should be the desire of every true believer to give appropriate fear, respect, reverence to the One who is absolutely worthy.

The psalmist’s prayer is that as God’s word is established in his life; the result would be an ever-increasing reverence for God.

One of the essential manifestations of a person who has come to understand God’s word in truth will be an appropriate worship of God. This worship is demonstrated by a biblical fear of the LORD. It is a recognition that He is the Master and we are the grateful slave!

John Murray says “the fear of God is the soul of godliness.”1

This prayer of the psalmist is a reminder that none of us really reverences God as we should. This is something that should often be on our hearts and in our prayers.

In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and his children will have refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death.
Proverbs 14:26–27

What is the danger here? If I find myself studying God’s word and it does not result in biblical worship, then something is seriously wrong.

When God’s word is impacting my life in the way God intends, biblical worship must be the result.

1 Murray, John, Principles of Conduct

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Rocky Wyatt

Rocky Wyatt came to know the Lord as a young teenager and began working in youth ministry when in college. After serving in churches in Utah, California and Colorado, Rocky moved to Texas to serve as Youth Pastor at Countryside Bible Church. He served there for 26 years where he eventually moved from youth ministry to serve as an Associate Pastor.

Over the course of his ministry, Rocky has always had a desire to train men for pastoral ministry in the context of the local church. In 1992 he started XL Ministries, an organization that is committed to helping churches establish intensive internships for pastoral training. In 2020 he left his position at Countryside Bible Church to become the Executive Director of XL Ministries and now works full time assisting churches in training men for ministry.

He is co-author of The Youth Ministry Training Manual, a textbook for training youth pastors, and has also written multiple other resources for use in various local church ministries. He is currently working on a book to encourage churches to take the primary responsibility to train pastors.

Rocky is married to Pamela, has two sons and daughters-in-law, and ten grandchildren. 

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.1 Corinthians 15:58