For our God is a consuming fire. — Hebrews 12:29 (NIV)

We should worship God with reverence because he is a consuming fire! Mmm. What does that mean? Is the focus on his holiness? Does this warn of judgment? Is this an expression of his purity? Yes, YES, YES! You see, God is holy and pure and righteous. Our imperfections, flaws, failures, and sins stand out glaringly in comparison to his perfection. Yet, rather than destroying us with his holy fire, he can make us new and clean and more than what we once were. So not only can we draw near to him because of Jesus, we can stay near him as we live Jesus' life in our world (see Hebrews 13). That, dear friend, is reverential worship at its finest!