Devout Worship

The way we frequently use the term 'worship' seems as if we are so well acquainted with its understanding and practice. But is it really so? To me it appears the true meaning of worship is waning in our day. There are many worshippers today but are they devout worshippers? It is time to blow the trumpet and call people to get back to the Scriptures and gain some comprehension of what devout worship is.

Few days ago, in my meditation on Psalm 9:1-2, I have observed two features associated with devout worship, which I would like to share with you.

Telling of God’s Wonders
David expressed, "I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders" (Ps. 9:1). David praised the Lord with his whole heart and spoke of all His wonders. Now this telling about God’s wonders is not only his mention of God’s greatness in his worship to Him but also seems to be speaking of His majesty to others. Eugene Peterson, in his popular translation, The Message, puts it this way, "I'm thanking you, God, from a full heart, I'm writing the book on your wonders." New Living Translation says, "I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done."

Moreover, listen to what David sung in Psalm 145:3-6:

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.

So, here is the point—devout worship results in declaring God's wonders to others. In superficial worship, there is praising God but there is no passion to tell His greatness to others. O, how many of us worship God in prayer meetings and church buildings, but in our normal conversations and personal discourses, with believers and unbelievers, do we speak of God's glory?

Here is a thought to think—If I love and adore someone dearly, will I not only praise that person but also share about his/her wonderful qualities with others? The one whose greatness and good nature I appreciate deeply, will I not also get excited to talk about him/her with others? Likewise, if we love and adore God with all our heart, how can we shut our mouth from speaking about His goodness, majesty and wonders to others? Is it not for this very purpose that God chose us to be His priests:

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises [excellencies, majesty] of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1Pet. 2:9)

Therefore, our worship unto God is not complete, devout and genuine unless we are passionate to speak of His wonders, talk of His glory, share of His goodness and proclaim His awesome works to others. Our praise is incomplete without the expression of the excellencies of God to those around us.

Delighting in the Lord
In Ps. 9:2, David states, "I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High." Notice, before praising God’s name, what do we observe David doing? He was glad and rejoiced in the Lord. He took great delight in God. His rejoicing in the Lord led him to worshiping God.

Here is another point—devout worship comes out of our utmost delight in God. In superficial worship, there is praising God and feeling good about oneself, but there is no delight in Him. O, we who worship God in the gatherings, don't you think our utmost delight is not in the Maker of our souls but in the things that have been made? I fear our heart is set on the delights of the world, yet our lips worship God without having a heart or passion for Him.

Did not God Himself say, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me"? (Matt. 15:18; cf. Isa. 29:13). Where there is heart in worship there is also delight in God but where there is no heart in worship but only words, there is no delight in Him.

Devout worship is the outcome of a heart which overflows with delight in the object of its worship. God takes delight in our worship when it comes forth out of our joy in Him. God wants us to praise Him by enjoying Him, for what is that worship of Him when there is no delight in Him. In devout worship—praising God and delighting Him are inseparable. C.S. Lewis brilliantly enlightens this thought in the following way:

I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation… our joy is no more separable from the praise in which it liberates and utters itself than the brightness a mirror receives is separable from the brightness it sheds. The Scotch catechism says that man's chief end is 'to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.' But we shall then know that these are the same thing. Fully to enjoy is to glorify. In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him.

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