FRIDAY 3rd
1 Chronicles 16:8-36
‘Believers walk with God through consistent worship’
The Scripture I have used comes from the time when the ark of God was placed in the tent that David had pitched for it to be kept. At the same time, he appointed some of the Levites to ‘invoke, to thank and to praise the Lord, then David appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the Lord. (vv1-7 It is then followed with David’s song of thanksgiving. Verse 29 reads, ‘Worship the Lord in the splendour of holiness.’
Worship is an essential part of our Christian life, perhaps when we think of worship today we automatically think of the times when we as God’s family come together such as on a Sunday morning and we spend time in worship, and yes this aspect of worship is very important. There is something powerful and precious when God’s people join in worship, as we sing songs of praise and worship, as we bring expressions of praise and thanksgiving. There is something about it that not only brings us into the presence of God but binds us together as a spiritual family. Today there are many different expressions of corporate worship, and lets be honest we all have our preferences – whether loud and noisy or quiet and peaceful, modern or old or somewhere in between, some like to be exuberant with dancing and jumping, others, well they prefer something a little more sedate! What matters is not so much how we express our worship but whether it comes from a genuine heart that is truly surrendered to the One whom we are coming before in worship. It needs to be real! Psalm 24:3-4 ‘Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.’
David the psalmist expressed or at least indicates that his worship was demonstrated in many ways, he knelt, he bowed, he sang, he expressed, he talks of harp, stringed instruments, clapping, loud clashing cymbals, trumpet, flute etc.
But, the thought today is ‘consistent worship’ This could mean at least two things – consistency in that we practise worship on a regular basis such as mentioned on a Sunday morning or it can mean that our lives must consistently be an act of worship. I suggest it means both! We should meet consistently for corporate worship but, I also believe that our lives should consistently be an act of worship. In other words, I don’t wait till we meet on Sunday morning to worship, I am an act of worship every day, my life should be lived as an act of worship, daily bringing glory to God. This means that if I take this seriously – for it is a serious matter – I will make sure that every day I live in a way that is God honouring, avoiding in every possible way anything that would bring shame upon my Christian testimony and on the Name of my Lord and Saviour.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism asks the question; What is the chief end of man? The answer given is ‘Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.
In the modern world we seem to have made Man’s chief end to live for self and to enjoy all the fleeting pleasures of the world instead of to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. There is nothing wrong with so much of what we do enjoy in life, but there is certainly something wrong if these things come before God and become the priority in our lives. How much of our 24-hour day is spent glorifying God! It should be the whole 24 hours, it doesn’t mean we are continually on our knees, or continually got our eyes closed praying, not even spending the whole-time singing worship songs and it doesn’t mean we have to lock ourselves away from the rest of the world. It means ensuring that in whatever we are and in whatever we do we are glorifying God. (Ephesians 5:15-21)
In Micah6:6 the question is asked: ‘With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? The answer comes in v8, ‘He has told you, O, man what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?’ This is a quote extracted from the content of Deuteronomy 10:12-22, where whole-hearted devotion to God is commanded and this would then be demonstrated in our attitude to the world around us. This is how we can consistently walk in worship with God.
I close this devotion with the words of Paul in Romans 12:1-2, ‘I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.’
What wonder of grace is this,
What story of passion divine,
Where judgement and mercy kiss,
Where power and love are entwined?
No tongue can speak this glory,
No words express the joy You bring
As I enter the courts of the King.
My desire is to come to this place,
My desire is to look on Your face,
Perfect in beauty, in truth and love,
Your glory shines over all the earth;
The King who lavishes grace on us is here.
Your will is my daily bread,
Enough for my plenty and need;
I’ll live by the words You’ve said,
And follow wherever You lead.
And though my flesh may fail me
You prove Your grace in all I do,
Lord my heart is devoted to You.
Stuart Townend Copyright © 2002 Thankyou Music CCLI 788682