Worshipping God

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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.

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1 Chronicles 29:20 Give God Praise

Then David said to the whole assembly, “Praise the Lord your God.” So they all praised the Lord, the God of their fathers; they bowed down, prostrating themselves before the Lord and the king. 1 Chronicles 29:20

Giving praise to someone is lifting someone up. Teachers. at all levels, are always encouraged to give students praise for the work that they do to encourage them to keep doing the work. People all over the world will praise different singers, actors or others that have done something great. Those who receive the praise are encouraged to keep doing what they were praised for.

After the people had brought in money for building the temple, David told the people to give God praise and so they did.

People are quick to give praise to others who have done something but are slow to give God praise who has done much more. God is often ignored in life as the One who does great things or is blamed for the bad things occurring. Most people think that they did it themselves, on their own or with the help of other people.

Any person who is a believer in God should recognize what God has done and is doing. It is God who is in total control. He is the One who created everything and made everything possible. Without God, no one is able to do anything at all.

The believer who stops for a moment and realizes what God has done in his life will be quick to give Him praise. He will want to tell others what God has done and is still doing. He will know that no matter how bad things look, in the end God will win the battle and bring about a great victory, thus giving reason to give Him more praise.

Think about all the things that God has done in your life. From providing the air to breath to miracles of healing and everything in between God has done it all and deserves your praise.

Without God you can do nothing. Without God you have no hope. Without God you have no future. Without God you have no salvation. Without God you can have no real peace or joy. Take time to give God praise for all these things and more.

Praise God in your private home and in the public places to let the world know who God is and what He has done.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know what God has done in your life; that you will give God praise for who He is and what He has done and is doing; and that you will not be ashamed to give God public praise.

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1 Samuel 1:28 Given Over To God

“So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshipped the Lord there. 1 Samuel 1:28

People often desire an item or thing that they really want and will do extensive things to get it. When someone finally gets that thing he has desired his whole life, he usually does not want to give it up to someone else.

It now belongs to him, and his desire is to keep it to himself for his own use, purpose and pleasure, not to be given away.

Elkanah had prayed to God for a son and was blessed with one, whom she named Samuel. Once he was born, she gave Samuel to the Lord for service in the temple all his life.

Giving up something that one has finally received, that has been desired for many years is very difficult. People are greedy and want things to themselves for their own use, not to be given away.

There are many things that people ‘need’ in this life to live, but the greatest thing that one needs is life itself. Seeking this life is often searched for in temporary things and pleasures that the world offers. Often those things are through sin.

Although living in sin appears to be life and enjoyable, it is not. Sin only brings about disappointment and eventually death.

At the moment a person chooses to repent and believe in Jesus, his sins are removed, and he is given life. This life that is given is not just for his pleasure, but to be given back to God for His use.

Every believer is to give the life he has been given completely over to God to serve God in this world.

Everything that God has given you has been given to you for you to use to build you up in Jesus and do His work on this earth. Nothing is given to you by God for your own personal selfish use, but to build His kingdom.

God is more than willing to show you how to serve Him with your life. He can open doors to reach this world with the salvation message to build his kingdom on this earth.

Take the greatest thing God has given you, your life, and give it back to Him. Serve and worship God with all of your life.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know the life God is giving you; that you will serve God with your whole life; and that you will use what God has given you for His glory and purpose; and that you will be completely given over to God for His use.

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Judges 6:28 Going Against The Popular

In the morning when the people of the town got up, there was Baal’s altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar! Judges 6:28

Popular trends abound everywhere one goes. People love to do things a certain way and expect everyone to follow that same way. Going against that trend will often cause people to rise up and get violent in various ways.

Very few people will have the courage and boldness to stand up against the current flow in society. They do not want to make everyone angry at them.

Gideon had destroyed the altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole, both things the townspeople followed closely and believed in.

Very few societies will build actual altars to a false god today, but they will build things up that promote sin. Focus and money will be put towards things that are sinful, such a Pride parades, sinful movies, alcohol and more. Events that are sinful against God are promoted.

It is often expected that everyone will go along with the flow and participate in the event. Anyone who goes against it is considered rude, violent, or hateful.

Any city or nation that raises up altars to sin will lose God’s favor. Believers are to be separate from the world and to take up a stand against sin. There will be times when a believer has to be willing to step up and tear down the altars that the world has set up or he has set up in his own life.

When a believer is willing to stand up against altars to sin, there will often be other people who will see the truth and follow along. The courage of one will give boldness to others.

You may have some altars to sin that you have allowed to be set up in your own life. There are definitely some altars to sin in the society you live in.

Begin by being willing to tear down the altars in your own life. Worship and serve God alone. Do not allow sin to rule your life.

Seek God’s direction and wisdom in tearing down the altars in society around you. Be bold in taking down altars in the lives of others. Point people to God, rather than allow them to stay in the false worship leading to death.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that God will reveal any altars to false gods in your life; that God will give you boldness and strength to tear down false altars; that God will reveal to you altars in society that you must tear down; and that God will be the only one worshipped.

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Deuteronomy 13:8 Don’t Listen Or Yield

do not yield to them or listen to them. Show them no pity. Do not spare them or shield them. Deuteronomy 13:8

Giving in to what others desire occurs on a regular basis. The world will present something that is not good in an enticing, pleasing way to get everyone to follow along.

The one doing the enticing is often those who are closest to the person, a close friend or family member. Since they are so close, many will go along with whatever is being presented, whether it is good or bad, rather than reject the push and go a different direction.

Moses told the people that if even a family member was to try to get them to worship a false god, they were not to yield to them nor spare them in any way with no pity.

In America most people do not directly worship a false ‘god’, but they do worship many different things. Idolizing a job, a position, possessions, social status, a person, or something else above God are all ways of worshipping an idol.

Family members and close friends are the ones who will put the greatest pressure upon a believer to worship something false. Quietly they will live in sin and strive to draw the believer into the same sin behind closed doors and often in the name of love or freedom.

Believers must be willing to take a strong stand against anyone who tries to lead them astray away from God. There should be no yielding or listening being done.

Although Moses told the people to put them to death, the believer should not put them to death, but to flee from them as though they were dead. Instead of following another into sin, the believer must run to God and worship Him alone.

There will be times in your life when either family members or close friends will try to get you to worship some false idol in your life. Pressure will be put upon you to follow the ways of the world, some of which may even appear to be good.

You must make a strong stand against all pressure to engage in false worship, even if it means to count the person as dead. Ignore them and flee from all push to sin against God by worshipping a false idol.

Worship the Lord your God and Him alone.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that God will open your eyes to those who are trying to lead you to false worship; that God will give you strength to resist worshipping false idols; and that you will worship the Lord your God alone.