In England, royal protocol dictates that when one goes to see the Queen, one must not speak to her unless she speaks first. She asks the questions; she initiates the conversation. One must bow in reverence and wait for her to speak. It sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Yet, that’s how it is, and everyone must follow the protocol. It’s the rule.

In the Bible as well, we see a king before whom no one could appear without being summoned first. Protocol was widespread in the Old Testament and still exists in some parts of the modern world today. At the risk of being labeled legalistic or religious, let me invite you to consider this thought: What if our God were also very much a God of protocol?

Yes, I know that today, Jesus has shown us the Father. And we should approach Him as a Father, without fear or trembling — essentially, without protocol. But hear me out, please, and think with me. What if, despite being our Father, God still remains God, with all that implies? Think about it for a moment, please.

God is our Father, Jesus our Brother and Bridegroom, and the Holy Spirit our Companion — that is true. But what if God, in all His glory, wanted us to approach Him not with fear but with reverence, with honor, with protocol? God is our Papa, but He is also our Creator. Jesus is our Savior, but He is also our Lord.

The Holy Spirit is our Companion, but He is also our Teacher. What I’m trying to say is that yes, your God loves you. He wants you to come to Him freely, but with the awareness that He is, above all, the Lord, the Eternal One, the Awesome One!

God desires intimacy with us, but not dishonor or contempt. He deserves the utmost honor and respect, especially in our era where everything is trivialized, and authority is undermined. What if we stopped to realize that this is not what pleases God’s heart? What if we understood that God delights in honor, respect, and reverence — and that these things come with a code?

Let’s be clear: I’m not talking about rituals or traditions. I’m not referring to any kind of religious sacraments. I’m simply speaking of a heart attitude — that inner awareness that draws us to approach God with reverence, with honor, with respect, and not with carelessness or casualness.

When one goes to see the Queen or any important human authority, not only does one prepare as if one’s life depended on it, but one clears one’s schedule because the person is known to be very busy. We avoid scheduling anything else at the same time. We wait patiently, sometimes for hours, to be received — and never complain.

But if we go to such lengths for a human being who can neither take our life nor cause us to grow or shrink, how much more should we give God our patience and our full attention? Would it be absurd to come before God completely prepared in every sense of the word? Would it be absurd to wait for Him to meet us, to speak first, to extend His scepter before we even open our mouths to present our needs?

Jesus said not to worry about what we will eat or drink or wear, because our Father knows we need these things (Luke 12:29–30). I remember one day while I was praying, the Lord asked me, speaking about my son (who was still a baby): “Does he beg you to feed him or take care of him?” I replied, “Of course not!”

Then He asked me, “So why do you feel the need to beg Me to take care of you?” I said, “But Lord, You said to ask for our daily bread, so I ask You.” The Lord replied, “What did Jesus say His bread was?” “To do the will of His Father,” I answered. Then He said to me, “Seek My will.”

In the very next verse, Jesus says: “Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you…” (Luke 12:31).

Dear friend, your Father knows. He knows the responsibilities you must handle. He knows the challenges you face. He knows the season you are currently in. That is exactly why He invites you to wait until He extends His scepter, until He speaks first. Don’t enter His presence offering Him the kind of drink you think He desires. Wait instead for Him to tell you what He wants.

We read in the Bible about a great servant of God — his name was Joshua. Joshua was the one entrusted with leading God’s people into the Promised Land, Canaan. In the conquest of that land, there were many obstacles to overcome, peoples to fight, cities to conquer. The first city Joshua had to conquer was Jericho.

The Bible tells us that Jericho was shut up and barricaded. Joshua stood facing the city, seeking a way to conquer it. Although the city had been promised to him, it still stood in defiance. The Bible says Joshua lifted his eyes and looked (Joshua 5:13). He saw a man who introduced Himself as the commander of the Lord’s army. It was literally the Lord Jesus Himself. Joshua asked Him:

“What does my Lord say to His servant?” And the Lord said something simple yet profound: “Take off your shoes, for the place where you are standing is holy.” (Joshua 5:15)

This sentence may seem simple and harmless, but it carries great weight. By asking Joshua to take off his shoes, the Lord was telling him to slow down. He was saying, “This place is holy, set apart, and this moment is solemn. What you need to do right now, Joshua, is stop and bow. You don’t need to run or rush. Take your time, relax.

Take time in My presence. This place is holy, sanctified by My presence — you cannot enter it carelessly. You must be patient; take off your shoes, sit down, and wait. I will speak to you, but for now, take off your shoes. Sit! There’s no need to run. This place is holy — the greatest Person in the universe is here. Take off your shoes.”

You can’t go anywhere without shoes. So taking off your shoes also means relaxing, settling in. In other words, you are being asked to be patient and to savor this sacred moment. Notice that Joshua was there before the Lord. Yet He told him the place was holy. That means the Lord instantly made that place special just by His presence. And therefore, it must be treated with respect and reverence.

Just as we wouldn’t go to the Queen of England or any important figure and say, “Please hurry up, I have another appointment to attend,” or “I’ve got better things to do,” we also can’t come into God’s presence to fellowship with Him hastily or carelessly. We can’t show up with a string of needs, recite them, and leave without a second thought.

No — that would be dishonor and contempt toward the One who holds our lives in His mighty hands. That’s why we must take our time, clear our agenda, and empty our minds. We must treat that moment with the utmost respect, because that moment is His, and that place is holy because He is there.

So above all, don’t rush. He loves us enough not to ignore our presence. And He will speak, and our lives will be transformed.

Surrendering to God means recognizing how great and powerful He is, and giving Him the respect He deserves. Surely, He will speak to us and guide us. The clock is an obstacle to true communion with God. God is not bound by time, so let’s not limit Him with time. Time spent with Him is never wasted — in fact, it is time well spent, for He will give us the keys to our breakthroughs.

“Take off your shoes!”
Joshua chapter 5 ends with this simple yet profound statement:
“And Joshua did so.”
And you? What will you do?
Will you do the same?

This text is an excerpt from the book “GIVE ME A DRINK” by Rachel MAHOUTI.

We invite you to read the next article: “MORE THAN A COMMANDMENT.”