Where is Your Heart in Worship?
“Nothing teaches us about the preciousness of the Creator as much as when we learn the emptiness of everything else.” – Charles Spurgeon
One Sunday morning a young man, who had recently had a life-altering encounter with God, stood with other congregants in his church during the morning worship service. Had he looked around, he would have seen some raising their hands, some singing loudly, some looking around to see what others were doing. But this young man saw none of those things. His mouth was singing the words, but his spirit was caught up in the reality of their meaning. With tears of gratitude streaming down his face, the music reached a fevered pitch. In that very instant, the young man was transported. He was no longer among the worshippers in his church that morning, but right in the very throne room of God in His presence, among the throngs of worshippers there. Whether in mind, body, or spirit, he did not know. He only knew what he saw in this present moment. Astonished, he looked all around him in this magnificent place too wondrous for words to describe. He began to see people, like himself, suddenly popping in, as amazed as he was. The rapturous music wafted all around them, like an ethereal entity. The glory of it all was unsurpassed. The young man turned to a glorious being standing near him and asked, “Why am I here and who are all these people popping in?” The angel responded, “These are people, like yourself, who were worshiping with their whole heart in their churches and were transported into the throne room of the Holy of Holies.” The young man replied, “I don’t understand, there should be millions of people. It is Sunday morning. People all over the world are worshiping this morning.” With a downcast look, the angel replied, “It is indeed what it looks like, many worship with their mouth, their hands, their eyes, their looks, but very few worship with their whole heart and spirit.”
The Bible describes many different expressions of worship. It can take the form of prayers of repentance, prayers of vindication, songs of praise and thanksgiving, Bible reading, set ceremonies such as Baptism, and communion. Our worship can be done corporately or personally.
The question to ask ourselves is not what form we will participate in, rather where our hearts are during worship? There is a certain posture your heart needs to make that proclaims to God “I know who you are and I know who I am. And I acknowledge I am nothing without you.” It is a heart that bows in reverence before a Holy God just as one would bow or kneel before a King. For He is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. Whether in lament, prayers of praise, thanksgiving, singing praises, reading scripture, or serving others, our hearts are bowed in reverence before a Holy God.
Those who have never experienced being transported in the spirit to the throne room of God are those who, on any given Sunday morning, allow many thoughts to bombard their brains. Wonder how long the preacher will preach today? I wish they would sing more hymns, I don’t know these songs. Why is the music so loud? My legs are hurting, wish they would let us sit down. Shame on him for wearing shorts to church! Don’t they have any respect for God? If I want to raise my hands, I will. You don’t have to tell me to raise my hands. I don’t like that! On and on the thoughts go and we allow it. All the while Satan is smirking to himself, “Yessss, I’ve got them now.”
But on that particular Sunday morning, the young man poured out his heart of worship to a loving and merciful God who had redeemed him from a life of drugs and certain death. He had reached down His loving hand in a single moment of time when the young man, in desperation, was about to snuff out his own life. But God! This was the one worthy of all of his praise, his whole heart. Now we ask, where is your heart in worship?
Psalms 9: 1-2 - I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. (NKJV)
