DAILY DEVOTION No 39

WHO OR WHAT DO WE WORSHIP?

We worship God in three persons – the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. We worship the Creator of Heaven and Earth and Him alone. We must not worship any thing or anyone else. There can be the problem sometimes where, as we develop in our worship and add music and singing, we can start to worship “Worship” instead of the One we are worshipping. We can get so caught up with the experience and the satisfaction it brings to our soul, that we start to worship the experience and not God. Like the golden calf in Exodus 32, this is forming a God of our own making. It is not about the method of worship or any particular style of worship but must always be about the One we worship. 

In Amos 5:4, the Lord said to the House of Israel, “Seek Me and live; But do not seek Bethel, nor enter Gilgal, nor pass over Beersheba.” Why did the Lord say this? He said it because Israel were placing more priority and focus on the place of worship and on their religious practices than on God Himself. They had replaced relationship with religion. This was the same of the Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus' day. They followed a code of religious rules that made them look holy, but on the inside, their hearts were far from God. 

When we as a nation get away from worshipping God as we ought and set up other things and practices as our gods, the whole fabric of moral society is broken down. As we see in Amos with the people of Israel who had no thought for the poor and needy and practiced corruption in their society, when we neglect the first and greatest commandment to “love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength”, it affects the second greatest commandment as well which is “love thy neighbour as thyself”. Why, because when we love God and follow in His ways, His love shines out through us and influences our actions.

We can often think that an idol is something made of wood or stone or a similar material, however, what truly defines an idol is the place it occupies in our lives. Any person, thing or desire that consumes much of our thoughts and time, is an idol. You and I can allow things to creep into our lives and take the place in our hearts that rightfully belongs to God – things that can easily become idols. It may be our family members or friends, it may be the desire to make money and be successful, or it may be our house or the possessions we own. We must guard against anything that will take up too much of our time and our thoughts – anything that will squeeze out the Lord in our lives. Jeremiah 2:11-13 talks about God’s people exchanging Him, the Fountain of Living Water, for broken cisterns, things that will never satisfy the longing of the heart. Let us constantly guard and cherish our relationship with Him.

In Daniel 11:32 we read, “The people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits.” This knowledge is not just head knowledge but also a deep love relationship between God and us. It is our responsibility to constantly cultivate the presence of God in our lives. 

Challenge

Do you have an external expression of worship to God but your heart is not close to Him? What about anything in your life that could be considered as an idol? Is there anything that is taking the place of God in your life? 

God wants all of our heart. He desires a close intimate relationship with us.

Prayer

Lord, help me deal with anything in my life that shouldn't be there. Help me to cultivate a passion for your presence.