Greetings, brothers and sisters in Christ and children of God,

How do you see worship? Some might see it as a moment of songs, others might see it as a time of prayer. According to Webster’s dictionary, “worship” is a verb that means to honor or show reverence for a divine being or supernatural power. The Cambridge dictionary has two definitions: to have or show a strong feeling of respect and admiration for God or a god; and to love, respect, and admire someone or something very much, often without noticing the bad qualities of that person or thing. 

I prefer the definition from C. S. Lewis Institute, which says, worship means respectful devotion-loving, honoring, and obeying someone who deserves our highest regard. It goes on to say that worship is a key part of our relationship with God, which we can experience because of Christ Jesus.

The Hebrew word for “worship” is shachah and denotes the act of bowing down. In the Greek language, the word for “worship” is proskuneo, which means to encounter God and praise Him. God created us for His glory (Isaiah 43:7), and David says to worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness (Psalm 29:2). We are called to worship the Lord God Almighty, the Maker of the heavens and the earth.

When Moses had come to rest at the bottom of Mt. Sinai, God called him to the top of the mountain to receive the laws to give to the people below. Moses had been gone a long time, and as they say, the natives became restless and made a calf out of gold and began to worship the calf. Moses was so angry that he broke the Ten Commandments, which God had to make again. God was also angry because He had just set them free from Egypt, and they were not acting grateful. In fact, they quickly forgot what God had done. God is a jealous God and deserves all the praise, not a false god that can give nothing.

It is very easy for us to forget all that God has done when we are distracted by the false gods in our lives and begin to give our full attention to them. We do not think about actors, models, and athletes becoming our false gods. We don’t think about sports teams, money, or even hobbies becoming our false gods. We collect these false gods when we begin to put them before our God. Remember, worshipping means to show honor and admire someone or something, and so if you are worshipping these false gods, you are not worshipping God.

One final thought, it is common on Sundays for God’s people to come together in prayer and worship, and give thanks to God. We worship Him through our obedience to Him, through our songs of praise, and through the reading of His word. It is our prayer and worship that is towards God, and the preaching that is from God towards us. It is the continuous response and action that builds the relationship between us and God. God calls us, we worship Him, and He responds in blessings.

Last week, we had an impromptu week off. However, this week the little lambs will be learning about the tabernacle and how God wanted to be with his people.

I look forward to worshiping our God tomorrow with songs of praise and dancing before Him. If I do not see you for some reason, may the Lord bless you with love, joy, and peace, and may He comfort you, heal you, and guide you when you need it.

God bless you,

Your brother in Christ

Michael (aka Mr. Michael)