Articles
Worship From The Heart
Worship from the Heart
A little boy asked, “Dad, what is the highest number you had ever counted? Replying he did not know, the father asked his son his highest number. It was 973.
“Why did you stop there?” wondered the father.
“Because church was over.”
I suspect you have probably sat through worship services, where your mind was focused on something just as trivial, rather than God. It is easy to let the mind wander. “I can’t wait to see the ball game this afternoon.” “I wonder what we’re having for lunch.” “I’ve never noticed before that the carpet down there is starting to unravel a bit.” Is it any wonder that we so often leave the assembly with the feeling that it wasn’t very meaningful?
Worship should be a time when we are confronted with the majesty and glory of God. As we reflect on God’s power, we realize how much we need Him in our times weakness. As we reflect on God’s wisdom, we realize how much we need Him in our times of indecision. As we reflect on God’s holiness, we are made aware of our own sinfulness and the need for forgiveness. As we reflect on God’s love, we realize the effort it took God to make that forgiveness available.
It is not just a ritual we go through every week. It is an opportunity to express our praise to the One who means more to us than all the earth. As we truly worship and praise God form the heart, we become more aware of how much we want to live close to Him. We leave with the challenge to “be holy as He is holy” (1 Peter 1:15).
“For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the Lord made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth.” (Psalm 96:4-9) --Alan Smith
