Today's Readings Ezekiel 8-11; Revelation 4
[I'm back from vacation]
Turning Our Hearts Toward Home
Topic: True Worship
Scripture
"When the people return to their homeland, they will remove every trace of their detestable idol worship. And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their hearts of stone and give them tender hearts [Hebrew: hearts of flesh] instead, so they will obey my laws and regulations. Then they will truly be my peole, and I will be their God. But as for those who long for idols, I will repay them fully for their sins, says the Sovereign Lord."
Ezekiel 11.18-21 (NLT)
Observation
When we return to our "homeland"--to God--and cast aside our idols [even those that appear to be Godly] then, and only then, can we truly give ourselves completely to God.
Application (How will I be different today because of what I have just read?)
What idols do I worship? It is easy for me to name those things that are in the world that I have to really watch myself about or else I can easily find myself worshiping them. Those are things that are common to most of us--money, power, possessions, people, etc.
But, if I read the chapters before these verses, I see that the idol worship that God was speaking against was actually happening in the Temple! That changes the focus.
So now the question is--what things within the church do I worship? Do I worship the organ? A certain style of music? A specific version of the Bible? Certain elements used in the Lord's Supper/Communion [bread vs wafer vs unleavened bread vs crackers]? The real question is--what do I focus on instead of God during my worship? Anything that gets between me and God takes our worship away from God.
Example: We see someone who we feel isn't dressed appropriately for church--and that is different for each one of us. I am not saying we are worshiping that person and their style of dress--but we are worshiping the style of dress that we believe is correct. We are focused on what they are not doing right--because we know what is right. Our focus moves from God to what pleases us.
So, what do I need to do? I need to fix my eyes and my thoughts on "Home"--in other words, on God. He needs to be what I worship. He needs to be all that I see. When I focus on Him all other things fade away and my heart is where it needs to be.
In the Revelation 4 reading--we get a glimpse of what worship will be like when we are Home, truly Home. There will be nothing else to pull our attention away from the King of kings:
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty--
the one who always was, who is,
and who is to come."
Whenever the living begins give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one who lives forever and ever. And they lay their crowns before the throne and say,
"You are worthy, O Lord our God,
to receive glory and honr and power.
For you created everything,
and it is for your pleasure that they
exist and were created."
Revelation 4.8b-11 (NLT)
We were created to worship God. He is our Home. He alone is worthy of our worship.
Prayer
Lord God, the Almighty One, Creator, Savior, Lover of my soul, to You and You alone belongs all worship. To You and You alone does my heart belong. I pray for singleness of heart. I pray for a new spirit--Your Spirit--to live within me. Father, take away my heart of stone and give me a tender heart--a heart after Your heart. Lord, help me to obey, give me the wisdom to obey your commands. May I love You with all my heart and all my mind and all my strength. And, may I love my neighbor--each one of them--with Your perfect love. And may I be stirred to action--to point others Home. In Jesus' name, Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment