Worship

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Psalm 97:7 Be Ashamed To Serve Idols

Let all be put to shame who serve carved images, who boast of idols. Worship Him, all you gods. Psalm 97:7

Shame is something that most people do not want to have in their lives. It means that one has done something wrong or has failed in some way or another. The world tries to avoid shame as much as possible. People are told that they can do or be what they want to do or be without being told that they are wrong or that they have failed. This allows for people to do anything without shame.

The writer of this psalm says that anyone who serves a carved image should be shamed and that all the idols need to worship God.

People tend to worship things, positions and other people on a regular basis. They put things at the very top of their priority list in their lives at the expense of everything else. Those things are the primary focus of all that they do and what they are about.

Anything that a person puts at the extreme top of one’s priority list in life is an idol. Although not worshipping it in a religious sense, the person is still worshipping that thing.

Even though the world says that one can worship that thing, in light of who God is, the person should be ashamed of doing so. One should be ashamed that one is putting all of time, effort and strength into some inanimate object that can do nothing at all.

All of one’s time, effort and strength—worship–belongs to God. It is God who created the person and everything in this world. It is God who can speak and do things. It is God who lasts for all eternity and gives eternal life, not the physical things of this world.

What is your highest priority in life? It is easy to get caught up in the temporary things of this world and the trying to keep up with the neighbor in wanting more and more. Following the ways of the world will cause you to put all of your time and effort into things, worshipping those things.

Turn all of your focus upon God. Worship God and God alone. Serve God with all of your mind, soul, strength and abilities. Make your life a life of worship to the one true God who is alive, not the dead things of this world.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will be ashamed of any idols in your life; that you will worship God with all of your life; and that you will serve God first, above all else in your life.

Picture by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

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Psalm 95:6 Worship And Bow Down

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. Psalm 95:6

In nations that have a king as their ruler, people understand the need to bow before a king or ruler. Those in other nations do not understand the desire to bow before someone, though people will constantly worship certain famous people as though they were gods of some sort. In the process of virtually worshipping a person, people will also virtually bow down to do whatever that person desires of them. The famous person is given complete authority.

The writer of this psalm calls for the people to worship and bow down before God as their Maker.

The world is quick to worship and bow down before things and other people. They will quickly give up everything to get certain things or to keep and maintain certain things at all costs. Lives are devoted to positions or things to keep up a certain reputation or appearance.

While the world is willing to worship and bow down to temporary things, they will not worship, nor bow down to God. He is often ignored, not believed in and rejected.

Believers can easily get caught up in worshipping and bowing down before things of this world. The temporary excitement can overcome the believer and draw one in and away from God, if the believer is not focused.

Instead of worshipping the temporary things of this world, believers need to worship and bow down before God their Maker/Creator. Worshipping God is giving Him praise, honor, glory and power for who He is and what He has done. Bowing down before Him, is giving Him complete and full authority over their lives. It is humbling oneself before God.

God should have complete dominance in one’s life, since He IS the Creator and Supreme Authority.

God is the One who has created you and given you all of your abilities. Without God you would be nothing and have nothing at all. Since this is true, be willing to worship God with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength. Then be willing to bow down your life and will before God. Allow Him to be the Ruler and King of your life. He is willing and ready to give you an abundant life that will extend into all eternity with Him, not just a temporary pleasure for a few days on this earth.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will worship God as your Creator and King; that you will humbly bow down before God; that you will give God complete authority over your life; and that you will know the life God has for you.

Picture by Methias Reding on Unsplash

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Psalm 81:9 No Foreign gods Allowed

There shall be no foreign god among you; nor shall you worship any foreign god. Psalm 81:9

In some countries the people will actually believe in and serve many different types of gods with the purpose of calling them gods. The number of gods in some places numbers into the thousands. In other nations, the people don’t really serve physically false gods as gods, but they do worship things and people as though they were gods of some type. Very few places in the world hold that there is only one god and no others at all.

Asaph reminds the people of their history with God and that they were to not have any foreign gods among them, nor worship any foreign god.

Although many people do not necessarily believe in many gods, most people worship things as gods and also believe that there are many ways to heaven. People are quick to put things before God.

The most common thing put before God, is self. Worship of self is promoted everywhere, that self comes first above all others and other things. Self pleasure often takes priority over anything God desires.

Believers know that they are not to worship foreign gods, but many believers often turn to a foreign god. As a believer, one is now a member of God’s family and kingdom. The believer is no longer a member of this world, though still in this world. At the moment the believer puts anything before God, that believer is worshipping a foreign god.

God needs to be at the center of everything the believer thinks, says and does. All of one’s service and worship belong to God and God alone. There should not even be a small hint of a foreign god in the life of a believer.

As a believer, you are now a part of God’s kingdom. The gods and things of this world are now foreign to you. The things of this world are to be used for God’s purpose, not to be worshipped and never to replace God in your life.

Ask yourself if there is anything that you put before God, anything that would cause you to turn away from God’s purpose for your life. That thing is a foreign god to you and does not belong. Cast out the foreign gods and worship and serve God alone. Don’t allow any foreign gods in your life.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that God will reveal any foreign gods in your life; that God will give you strength to cast out those foreign gods; and that you will worship God alone.

Picture by Lenstravelier on Unsplash

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Nehemiah 8:6 Humble Worship

And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Nehemiah 8:6

Being humble is something that is difficult for most people. The world tells everyone to hold their head up high and be proud of who they are. Then the world strives to be the god of their life and of others. People want to be the one that is in control and is the one that is worshipped and adored by others.

As Ezra blessed God the people agreed and bowed down with their faces to the ground to worship God.

Everywhere one looks it is always about self, how one looks, what one has, who one knows and other things about self. The individual is the most important and one is to look out for self. In the eyes of the world there is no right or wrong, but it is all about what self wants and desires. Pride is the number one feeling to have.

God is against pride because it is about self, removing Him and others from the equation. However, without God there is nothing. If God had not created everything, there would be nothing and man would not exist.

It is God who gives life. It is God who forgives. It is God who gives meaning to life. It is God who gives meaning during suffering. It is God who gives strength and abilities.

Instead of being filled with pride, believers are to be humble before God. They are to look down to the ground recognizing that they are nothing without the work of Jesus in their lives and humbly worship God from their hearts knowing it is all about God.

You may have done some great things in your life but remember that it was God who gave you the ability to do those things. Do not allow pride to build up and place yourself upon the throne.

Humble yourself and bow down to worship God, the creator of the heavens and the earth, the giver of life, the One who forgives, the One in control. Allow God to be high and lifted up to be worshipped by all beginning with yourself. Let your entire life be completely all about God and what He has and is doing.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will recognize who God is; that you will humble yourself before God; that you will worship God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength; and that you will not allow self pride get in the way of loving, serving and worshipping God first.