MAY 21

Psalm 29:2
Memorise Psalm 99:9
“All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee…”

To worship means to hold in the highest regard, to honour, praise and glorify. While the world worships many things other than God, the Bible tells us that it is God alone who is worthy of worship. To do otherwise would be idolatry (Read Revelation 4:11 and Exodus 20:3-5). Thus we see the Psalmist cry out: “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name”. When we worship God, we acknowledge that He is indeed the great all-wise, all-powerful God who is worthy of worship, and the least we can do is to give Him all the glory that is due to His name.

True worship is not an activity which simply involves observing certain practices in a ritualistic manner. Rather, external activities must reflect the actual inner condition of the worshipper. Therefore, it involves the worshipper’s entire being, that is, his body, heart, mind and soul. Furthermore, it is impossible to worship God in a way which is pleasing to Him if it is not done out of a deep reverential love for God. Indeed, Mark 12:30 tells us to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength”.

It is all too easy to be influenced by the false religious practices of other faiths and place too much importance on the external aspects of various religious activities. Even worse, some churches have “contemporary worship services” where the stimulation of the worshippers’ carnal senses is of greater importance than pleasing God with reverential worship. The Bible teaches us that it is impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). This means that everything we do for God can be pleasing to Him only if it is done with the right heart condition, and this includes worship. 

While having a better understanding of God’s Word, church service and fellowship with other believers are all important aspects of our church life, we should be mindful that God alone should be the supreme object of our focus and adoration during worship. Let us therefore worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

Thought: What should I do if I am having difficulty approaching God with the right heart condition during worship service?
Prayer: Help me, O Lord, that I may come to Thy throne of grace with clean hands and a pure heart.