Where There is Worship – Morning Devotional from the Edges.

From the Edges – Morning Devotional 3-2-24

LENT – DAY 16 – WHEN THERE IS NOTHING THERE IS WORSHIP

Scripture focus – Hebrews 12:28-29 “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Early Saturday mornings are the time when I focus on preparing my heart with a genuine devotion on Worship. Actually, for corporate worship, worship in a congregation or church setting. Personally, I believe that Worship should be a daily lifestyle where we just pause in the presence of the Holy and focus on nothing else but being close to God. Stepping aside – and breathing in and being in the presence of God.

I find myself praying often the words from the song the “Heart of Worship”, “I’m sorry Lord for the things I made it.” I feel sometimes in our modern context that our well planned out worship services become another event, another hymn or song being played, another sermon delivered, another time to see friends, and so much more that is not really worship and honoring God by stepping in to the Holy of Holy and worshiping. I long for that and find many times that I don’t know how to convey it or conquer self and ‘just worship’.

Through the years I have had the opportunity to worship in many different ways, styles, and places. I remembered a Sunday morning many years ago stepping into a little country church with a handful of people who humbled themselves before the Lord each and every Sunday. I remembered stepping into the century old church where the faithful saints of the past had sat and worshiped and being humbled by that holy place. I was young then, really young, was probably the last choice to fill the pulpit but still realizing that was what God had called me to.

I remember the lady in charge, meeting me at the door and exchanging pleasantries and thanking me for being there and then breaking the news, “we have no one to play the piano so we usually read the hymns, unless you can play the piano or lead the singing.” As the laughing ended, we prepared by getting into place and beginning worship.

As inexperienced as I was my mind was set on the bulletin and making sure these people were able to worship. The opening hymn that morning was “To God be the Glory”. Read it with me verse 1 and refrain just as I did with that congregation so many years ago

To God be the glory, great things he has done! So loved he the world that he gave us his Son, who yielded his life an atonement for sin, and opened the life-gate that all may go in.

Refrain: Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, Let the earth hear his voice! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the people rejoice! O come to the Father through Jesus the Son and give him the glory, great things he has done! (Fanny Crosby 1875)

The remaining verses are just as important in setting a tone for worship whether it be in our quiet morning place, a reminder of the place where we first felt the presence of the Lord, a small country church, a fallout shelter, a lean-to on the side of the mountain in Haiti, a cathedral in Europe, or the church in your community.

This is why the Hebrews scripture is so important for us especially the words “worship God acceptably with reverence and awe”.

May our worship and more importantly our time of preparing our hearts for worship be a time to leave the problems, strife, activities, circumstances, stuff of the world behind and worship and be in awe of our God.

Have a blessed day and weekend in the name of Jesus.