Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Worship God!

Daily Reading:  Ecclesiastes 5-6

Scripture Focus: Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. (Ecclesiastes 5.1)

Devotional Thought: Doc Lail, a good friend of mine, recently loaned me Holy Fire Fell, a history of worship practices in the Church of the Nazarene by Dirk Ellis.  As the author reviewed the changes in worship style, he expressed our forefathers' concern over narcissistic worship - worship that is focused on us and our feelings.  Frankly, I think that condition is prevalent in churches and among Christians today.  We have made worship about us.  We want the songs to move our hearts, the message to meet our needs, even the length of the service to fit our schedules.

Worshippers in the days of Ecclesiastes suffered from a similar ailment.  They wanted worship centered around themselves.  The Teacher called it "the sacrifice of fools!"  He warned them, "guard your steps when you go to the house of God."  Our coming is not about getting our felt-needs met, nor is it about offering great and entertaining worship experiences.  We must "draw near [to God] to listen."

God has something to say to us, but it is hard for him to get a word in edgewise!  We are too concerned about what we are saying (or singing!) to hear what God is saying.  The Teacher warned against being rash with our words or hasty with our mouths.  "Let not your mouth lead you into sin...  For when words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear " (Ecclesiastes 5.6-7).

We have missed out on the meaning of worship if it is about what we have to say, or how we feel.  We need to guard our steps and our hearts when we go to the house of God!

Prayer: Jesus, you taught us that the Father desires worshipers who worship in spirit and truth.  May your Holy Spirit lead us to truly worship you, proclaiming your majesty and mastery over all!

Psalm of the Day:  26 Help me, O LORD my God! Save me according to your steadfast love! 27 Let them know that this is your hand; you, O LORD, have done it! 28 Let them curse, but you will bless! They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad! 29 May my accusers be clothed with dishonor; may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak! 30 With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD; I will praise him in the midst of the throng. 31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death. (Psalms 109:26-31)

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