Thankful For The Gift of Worship

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What is the first thing that you think of when you hear the word, worship? Many of us instantly think of musical worship, right? Our favorite songs and artists, a favorite hymn or even times when we sense God’s presence ever close on a Sunday morning. Other times of worship that might come to mind may focus on prayer, offerings, time spent in nature or in our quiet moments alone with God.

Defining worship can be an interesting challenge – one that goes beyond the activity associated with it. A consistent phrase that is used to define worship is often something of this nature: Worship is a natural response to our encounter with God. Our encounters with the Almighty God are as vast and unique as each individual’s relationship is with Him. Our responses are likely just as varied from person to person, as they are from church to church and culture to culture.

If we focus in on expressions of worship found in the Bible specifically referring to musical worship, we find some exciting – and noisy ways to praise our God. Many of these forms of worship would likely raise an eyebrow or two in our churches today. Or, they might even be seen as inappropriate and would simply not be allowed. Here’s a few things that God’s Word has to say about our worship -

“Praise God in his sanctuary…with trumpet…lute…harp…tambourine and dance…strings and pipe…sounding cymbals…loud clashing symbols…” (Psalm 150:1-6)

“Shout for joy…with lyre…harp of ten strings…new song…loud shouts…” (Psalm 33:1-4)

“Make a joyful noise…Come into his presence with singing…” (Psalm 100:1-2).

Our musical worship, no matter what the form, or even if it includes “loud clashing" and "loud shouts,” is central to how we interact with God and with how we encourage each other on as fellow believers. Worship is a personal interaction between us and our God, but it is also a corporate response that we can share with our church family in our local churches and in the larger ‘family of God’!  It’s amazing to consider all the challenges that musical worship has had in the church over the years, and yet, when we think of heaven and our worship for all of eternity we only anticipate unbridled joy and sweet adoration.

But, until that day, our worship can gain a much deeper impact on our life when we consider what God has done for us, who He is and how He has loved us. Our acts of worship should reflect how our experiences in life are seen in light of God’s love, grace and purposes. “Father in Heaven! Hold not our sins up against us but hold us up against our sins so that the thought of You when it wakens in our soul, and each time it wakens, should not remind us of what we have committed but of what You did forgive, not of how we went astray but of how You did save us!” (Soren Kierkegaard) Our sin is not the focus but God’s gift of forgiveness, available through the work of Christ on the cross, that is the true focus of our worship. God’s love for us is deep and vast. God’s love is unmatched and humanly incomprehensible.

To enjoy the gift of worship, we must learn to carve out moments and hit ‘pause’ on our commitments in life to allow for encounters with God. Unless we rein in our hectic schedules, how will we ever have any hope of experiencing a true and intimate response to God found within worship? As the church, a member of the body of Christ, we must not grow weary in teaching the grace of God, the gift of reconciliation and the hope of eternity with God. We must not hinder our worship by simply singing. We must continue to worship in all the ways that we encounter God and allow our hearts to jump for joy in His presence!

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him.” Psalm 28:7

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