Worship

When I hear people say, “Worship was wonderful today,” I often wonder what or who was the object of worship? To me, it’s like members of the audience at a performance saying to each other, “This standing ovation is wonderful, exhilarating and refreshing. I am enjoying this standing “O” immensely.

When I think of worship, I think of words like adoration, devotion, honor, admiration, awe, and yes, fear and submission. This is why I imagine that the worshipper’s response should be more like, “Isn’t He wonderful? Isn’t He great? Isn’t He beautiful? Isn’t He majestic?”

Yet how often do we come away with a sense of AWE of Him or for Him as we are in the assembly? How often are we shaken up by the sense of His Presence?

I think that if we worshipped properly, and if there was a “visitor” in the assembly, at some point in the worship, the visitor would be convinced and convicted that “God really is among you!” (I Corinthians 14:24-25).

Lord, help me not to veil Your majesty and glory and steal Your thunder.

Meditation

When Ajoa was 5 or 6 years old we were looking up at the clouds in the sky, I asked her, “If I told you there was a boat in the sky, what would you say?” Ajoa sat in silence. Again I repeated the question, “If there was a boat in the sky, what would you say?” Again there was no immediate response, but after a moment of silence, she replied, “Nothing.” I was surprised by her answer, so I asked, “Why not?” She said, “Because I would be thinking to myself, now why is there a boat in the sky?”

I laughed. I was amused and at the same time amazed that this very young child did not react the way I expected, but was also able to express her thought process in a very logical manner.

Ajoa’s response was a great example and illustration to the Bible’s exhortation to meditate on God, His deeds, and His Word.

Mary pondered and treasured the workings of God in her life (Luke 2:18-9, 49-51). Joshua was told to meditate on the Word of God so that he would be prosperous and successful (Joshua 1:7-8). The Psalmists (especially 119) speak of meditation not only as a natural part of their lives, but as essential to their lives.

In Scripture, I see people amazed and even utterly astonished by the workings of God, yet often times this is a superficial reaction. I’ve come to this conclusion because they do not seem to internalize what they are hearing and seeing. If they did, I think it would have caused people to know God better.

Unfortunately, I don’t think that we are that much different. We see and hear Jesus, and He amazes us, yet we do not seem to think deeply of His significance. If we did, it would seem that we’d know God on a deeper and more intimate level. And the proof of that would be the radically transformed lives.

May we think on the deeper things of God. No, scratch that. May we think on the things that God has revealed to us and go beyond the surface and the superficial and know God more intimately so that His Word will be our “delight.”