God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth. 1 Chronicles 16:29.Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!Bring your offering and come into his presence.Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor. (John 4:24)
The first thing God taught His people in the wilderness after the Exodus was worship. He commanded Moses to build the Tabernacle, which housed the Ark of the Covenant (Ex 26:1-37). God wanted to teach His people that experiencing and living in His presence through worship determines everything in life.
Some people, unfortunately, failed to recognize the importance of worship. God commanded Joshua to keep a distance between the people and the ark (Jos 3:4).
When the Philistines took the ark, God’s hand was against them, bringing calamities and troubles (1 Sam 5:1-12). When Uzzah unlawfully touched the ark, he was put to death (2 Sam 6:1-8).
When Michal despised in her heart her husband King David leaping and dancing before God when the ark entered the city, she remained barren for the rest of her life (1 Sam 6:16-23).
God did not intend to bring terror to His people because of the ark. He wanted His people to know the meaning and importance of worship. His message for us is the same even today: Failure in worship leads to failure in life.
During worship, God speaks to us through His servants. This is why God’s messengers for His church must not try to make their message beautiful and convincing. Instead, they should struggle in prayer, asking God to give them the message He wants for His people.
As we receive the message, we must acknowledge God’s messengers, no matter how lacking they appear, because God lacks nothing. They are simply a postman delivering messages from God in heaven.T hus, we must focus on what God says to us during worship.
Tragically, when Miriam and Aaron failed to acknowledge their own brother Moses as the servant of God, Miriam was cursed with leprosy (Num 12:1-10), and Aaron ended up making the golden calf (Ex 32:1-35). We often miss God’s cues in obvious places. So continue to pray for your pastors and those who labor for the sake of the gospel.
Before we worship, we must understand the One we are worshiping. This is the age of idolatry. People worship the creation, not the Creator. They worship themselves, money, and pleasure. The believers may act religiously, but they are ignorant of and even reject the power of the gospel (2 Tim 3:1-5).
We often worship without knowing the reality of the Triune God during worship. God the Father carries out His covenant through the Word; God the Son executes the work of the Christ, destroying the curses of Satan, sin, and hell; God the Spirit applies the blessing of salvation, empowering us so that we may stand as Christ’s witnesses.
The One to worship is our God, the Almighty, who is holy, who always was, who is, and who is still to come (Rev 4:8). He is the only one worthy to receive glory, honor, and power (Rev 4:11). He is the One to whom we should sing a new song (Rev 5:9-10). He is the Lamb who was killed, and all power, wealth, wisdom, and strengthbelong to Him. He is worthy to receive our honor, glory, and praise (Rev 5:12-13).
This is the worship God desires—in the Spirit and truth (Jn 4:24). It’s the kind of worship led by the Spirit and following the truth, the Word of God. When we come to worship, we should remember:
“Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than offer the sacrifice of fools who do not know they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth; do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so let your words be few”(Ecc 5:1-2).
Begin your worship with praise, acknowledging who God is (Heb 13:15). Come before Him with confidence in prayer, knowing what happens in the heavenly realms when you pray (Rev 5:8, Rev 8:3-4).
Be attentive to what God has to say to you with reverence and eager expectation (Ps78:1, Neh 8:5-9). And give cheerfully with gratitude what belongs to God, from whom all blessings flow (Prov3:9-10, Mt 6:21, Mal 3:10-12).
Are you struggling with life’s problems and challenges? Why don’t you restore the blessing and the joy of worship today?
When the disciples met the risen Christ, they worshiped Him (Mt 28:17). They finally recognized Jesus as the eternal God who deserved their worship. They were consumed by the great love of Christ, who laid down His life for them.
They were stunned by the power of resurrection God displayed through Christ. Because of what Christ has done, they experienced new freedom from Satan, sin, and hell.
They saw Jesus with absolute authority over all things in heaven and on earth. Jesus had their full attention—their heart, soul, mind, and strength.
This is what worship is all about. When you get to know Jesus, you will worship Him.
Prayer. Father, I thank You for the privilege to come before You in worship. Restore in me the joy of worship in all circumstances. In Jesus’ name, Amen.