majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in Deuteronomy 4:23-24,
"Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he
made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of
anything the Lord your God has forbidden. For the Lord your God is a
consuming fire, a jealous God."
As Moses speaks to the Israelites prior to their entering and taking
the promised land from its inhabitants, he warns them of the trap of
idolatry, a sin that will plague Israel for generations. The writer of
Hebrews quotes this passage in Hebrews 12:29. There the writer of
Hebrews warns his readers to worship God acceptably "with with
reverence and awe." Just how do we engage in this type of worship?
Jesus made an important statement about worship when he spoke to the
Samaritan woman at the well. There, the woman attempted to start a
theological quibble with Jesus about the proper location for the
worship of God. Jesus cut her off by saying that the time had come for
true worshippers to worship the Father in spirit and in truth, the
location was not going to be an issue. He told her that God the Father
sought such worshippers and that worshippers needed to worship God in
spirit and in truth. John 4:21-24.
Today we recognize that all who truly embrace Jesus Christ in faith
are indwelt with the Holy Spirit, Romans 8:9. We are a new creation, 2
Corinthians 5:17, and as such have become spiritually quickened. As we
worship God as his children, we do so in spirit. It is the "truth"
part that Jesus told the Samaritan woman of that seems to me to be
something of vital importance today.
We live in a day where many church schisms and "isms" and cults and
theological persuasions prevail. As one considers where to go to
church it is almost like going to the ice cream store where you can
get 31 flavors, whatever it is that suits you. It seems as though
whatever you want can be found. However, in the midst of all this, the
thought strikes me that the object of our worship has something to say
about how he will be worshipped in a manner pleasing to him. It is not
up to us, but up to him to decide what is acceptable worship. Moses'
direction to the Israelites is very clear here - do not engage in
idolatry! Do not define God as other than what he has revealed
himself to be and do not worship an invention you cling to.
Basing our worship on truth is vital. That is the kind of worship our
God requires. As the writer of Hebrews says, "Worship God acceptably
with reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire.'"
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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