People Are Made For Worship
The world has its standards for wisdom but true wisdom is found in the “fear of The Lord.”
Psalm 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
The truly wise person searches for Christ, finds Him and worships Him in spirit and in truth. This is more than a religious routine; it is an attitude of the soul, before The Lord. It is a recognition that God is supreme and there is none other above Him. A personal encounter with Jesus Christ invariably transforms the seeker into a true worshiper. To know Christ is to love Him.
Although certain places have special significance for us, the Person we worship is more important than any place.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
1 Peter 2:9
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
What is worship? There is more involved in true worship than gathering together, singing Christian songs and listening to people pray. It is possible to do all these things and many more, and not yet worship God.
To worship God is to commune with Him, to be occupied with Him and to adore and magnify Him. The church building is surely not the only place where God may be worshiped.
It’s true; the conditions and circumstances are often more conducive to worship there than they are some other place, but God can be worshiped wherever believers choose. The heart can cry out to God in adoration and praise without even a word being spoken. God desires to be worshiped. He wants the believers’ fellowship.
What a privilege it is for the child of God to walk and talk with Him, the Creator of Heaven and earth. He spoke and the world came into being. He calls us to communicate with Him, in spirit and truth. That is both humbling and gratifying. What God desires for us is that we worship Him, and that is the only way in which He can truly be worshiped: in spirit and in truth.
People are made for worship. That is why people everywhere practice some form of worship. It is part of his nature and purpose. There are no human forces and institutions needed to make man a worshiping being. God created people to worship Him. However, there are numerous forces which seek to remake us into a non-worshiping creature and turn our affections away from the only One who is worthy of worship. We need only to remind ourselves of Communism in many countries where the rulers demand to be worshiped, or else.
Attitudes play an important part in worship. When, in the midst of difficult circumstances, our attitude toward God will determine whether we worship Him or not. To fear The Lord is to stand in awe of Him and reverence Him, to honor and worship Him. Knowing God personally in life is the highest priority for the believer, and to know Him is to love Him and obey Him and reverence Him in our daily lives.
There are many things in modern society that can draw our worship away from God: TV, computers, jobs, possessions, riches, obligations. Sometimes we allow these things to occupy the place of prominence in our lives that only belongs to God. He alone is worthy.
It is easy to acknowledge God’s presence when everything is going well in our lives. When we’re in the midst of a difficult situation, do we remember His promises to His children? Jesus opened the way for us to speak directly to the Father, using the authority of His Name, based on what Jesus did at Calvary.
Jesus tells us to ask, but we must balance our asking by praying according to His will; otherwise, our prayers could degenerate into selfish indulgence. A look at our calendars, our check book or a list of our priorities may indicate where our devotions lie.
Matthew 6:21 (Jesus speaking)
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
ATTITUDES OF WORSHIP
Psalm 121:1-3
1I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. 3He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Psalm 122:1
I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.
Revelation 4:10-11
10The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Exodus 34:14
For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
Psalm 63:4
Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
The word “praise” is in the Bible four hundred fifty times. We need an outlet for our emotions. Let’s praise the Lord!
