“O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.” - Psalm 95:6
Humans were created to worship. Since the Garden of Eden until now, men and women have been worshipers. Since Adam's fall, mankind has shifted the focus of his worship from God to other things. In the Old Testament, men worshiped idols that they created and formed in their own hands. In the New Testament, people worshiped religious and human traditions. Even today, worship continues here in America. Some worship a favorite sports team. Others worship a politician or political party. A few are enamored with power and wealth.
Probably the most common idol in America is the worship of self. We are consumed with the person we see in the mirror. We think highly of ourselves and seek to please ourselves at all cost. If you trace every sin to the root, you will probably find selfishness as the key ingredient of every sin man commits.
But mankind was not created to worship this way. We were created to worship God alone. Sin has diverted our attention to lesser matters. Rather than worshiping the God who created us, we have settled for far lower things. We worship the creation rather than the Creator. We worship the gifts rather than the Giver. We adore possessions instead of the One who possesses all things.
Worship stirs us mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Worship is never boring.
Watch a boy when he meets his sports hero. When this boy sees his “hero,” he gets excited. He is stirred. He can't wait to have this athlete sign a picture or memento. He is thrilled to his picture made with this athlete. It is a moment he treasures the rest of his life. We call it, “hero worship.” The boy has high regard for this athlete. He keeps a poster in his bedroom. When this athlete is competing, the boy will sit and watch the event on his television, cheering for his hero throughout the event. Yes, this is worship. The boy is engaged mentally and emotionally just to see this athlete.
Do we have such high regard for God? Isn't He far more worthy of such devotion as an athlete? Do we long to meet with Him? Are we exciting to read about Him in the Bible? Are we looking forward to seeing Him face to face?
If we claim to be followers of Jesus, it should be understood that we are worshipers of God. Yet how can we worship? What is required of us to worship God?
First of all, we must give Him our attention. We give our time and attention to things we value. It is easy to identify what a person treasures because he will devote attention to the object of his devotion. Do we give God our attention? Is He the focus of our mind each day?
Secondly, we must give God our affection. We must put our heart and soul into the experience of worship. Our worship of Him should be an act of love. Worship and love go hand-in-hand. We worship what we love and we love what we worship. For instance, many worship their favorite sports team. They will travel long distances to see them play. They love their team. They worship their team. They show up for their “worship service” hours in advance and actively engage in verbal praise for their idol. Why do we see pagans worship with such zeal and devotion while Christians are very lukewarm and loveless in our worship of the real God? In genuine worship, we give our affection to God.
Finally, we give Him our adoration. Worship is more than hearing a sermon or singing a hymn. Worship is the act of knowing and loving our glorious Lord. As we hear sermons that reveal Him to us and hear songs that draw us close to Him, we adore Him more and more. Our reading of the Scriptures can be an act of worship as we learn about Him. When we pray with faith, we see Him in His majesty and are encouraged to know that this mighty God hears our feeble pleas. When we fellowship with other believers, our faith in Him is strengthened as we hear others share what the Lord is doing in their lives. God should be adored. As we ponder His attributes, we are overwhelmed that this loving God is perfect in all His ways.
In Psalm 95:6, we are invited to worship: “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.” Worship humbles us, but exalts our Lord. As we meditate on His holiness, greatness and glory, we are brought to our knees before Him. The proud never worship anyone but themselves. The wise recognize their unworthiness and approach the Lord with fear and faith.
While most of humanity worships their little idols, we should look above to the only true God and worship Him.
He is worthy of such worship.
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