WORSHIP

Worship derives from an earlier word ‘worthship’ and means to recognise the worth of something. Thus we still say ‘What is it worth? meaning what is its value. As believers on the Lord Jesus we are valuing the worth of God. This is connected with His attributes as a holy, righteous, sin hating God, a just God and a God of love. Hence worship requires us to be in tune with these characteristics of God in order to truly recognise, value and experience His essential nature, Psalm 29:2 and Psalm 96:9,   ‘worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.’ God has revealed Himself in creation as well as in redemption through His Son. Thus our relationship with the Almighty God combines aspects of praise, thanksgiving and worship.

Praise is often connected with an appreciation of God’s acts and works.  There is the wonder of God’s work in creation, ‘The heavens declare His glory and the firmament shows His handiwork.’ Psalm 19:1.  There is appreciation of the wonder of God’s plan of redemption in securing our freedom from the bondage of sin and our eternal blessings in Christ  ‘in bringing many sons to glory.’ Hebrews 2:10.

Thanksgiving is our response to God’s provision in temporal and spiritual blessings, Eph 5:20,  ‘Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,’ with a daily appreciation of Christ’s intercessory work with the Father. ‘We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.’ 1 John 2:1 

Worship is distinctive from praise and thanksgiving. Worship is the opening of the heart to the love of God. It is the coming of us as sons to our Father. It is drawing near to love and to adore Him. As we experience stillness before God it should lead us naturally into praise and worship. So quietness and reflection are key ingredients for the Holy Spirit to engage us with the Lord Jesus and the Eternal God as our Father.

The Lord Jesus gave the woman at Sychar’s well a wonderful insight into worship. He spoke of living water, a type of the Holy Spirit without whom worship cannot be experienced. ‘For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.’ Eph 2:18.  The Lord went on to say ‘for the Father seeks such to worship Him. God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.’ John 4:23-24.  True worship always exalts God and extols His intrinsic worth, irrespective of His creatorial or redemptive work or our personal blessings.

Often words will be inadequate in worship, although shared experience through passages of scripture may encourage it, as may hymns and spiritual songs. The upper room appearance when Thomas falls at the Lord’s feet and says ‘My Lord and My God’ John 20:28, would emphasise this when words are almost insufficient to capture the worth of the One we love and adore. The focus is Christ centred and should cause us to fall likewise at His feet in adoration. Recalling the experience of Moses and the burning bush we see the awesome power of God, ‘I am that I am’ (Exo 3:14). He is the self-existent One as Psa 90:2 says ‘From everlasting to everlasting Thou art God’.

We have a ‘new and living way’ into God’s presence and may with confidence draw near to His throne of grace. We approach in Christ in whose worth we are clothed ‘through the veil, that is to say, His flesh.’ Heb 10:20. However, entering into God’s presence is not done lightly or with unconfessed sin. ‘For Thou art holy that dwells amidst the praises of Israel.’ Psa 22:3. 

By the Holy Spirit, we worship God as He is, in all His might, glory and power, beauty and awesome majesty. When we cry Abba Father, it is the Spirit (of God) bearing witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. Rom 8:15-17.  God wants us to enjoy the glorious liberty as children and sons of God. So when the heart is moved in worship, we are, as the hymn says,  ‘lost in wonder, love and praise.’

Thus worship engages us with God as absolute and as revealed. Well may we say, ‘Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless His holy name!’ Psa 103:1.