Worship

If I say I am going to worship the Lord, what is the first thought that pops into your mind? If you are like me you may think that I am going to begin singing. In most churches we are led to believe that worshiping the Lord is singing. How many times have you heard the pastor say "Let's thank the praise team for ushering us into the presence of the Lord with that beautiful song." or "Join us in this next song as we worship the Lord!" It is true that we can worship the Lord through singing. But are there other ways to worship the Lord?

I ask this because I began reading the book of Job last week and in chapter 1 I came across the following passage:

Job 1: 13-21 - 13 One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15 and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

16 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

17 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised.”

Did you notice what verse 20 said? After all of this death and destruction, after Job lost his family and possessions, after hearing this terrible news, he fell to the ground in worship! If you read on you will not find any mention of songs or music or a praise band! And it certainly wasn't a joyous occasion that put him in a worship frame of mind. Job wasn't in church and he wasn't surrounded by hundreds of other people.

So what is worship? Dictionary.com defines it as reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred. How would Job define worship? I think Job demonstrated his understanding of worship by what he said in verse 21. Job seemed to understand that all he had and all he is comes from the LORD. He understands that God had given him all that he had and God had every right to take it back at any time and in any way He deemed appropriate.

When we understand this the way Job did I think we can begin to get a grasp on what true worship is. True worship, I believe, requires a deep understanding of who God is and who we are. We need to understand that we deserve nothing from God, we are entitled to nothing from God other than perfect justice for our sin which is ultimately death and an eternity separated from God. True worship will come from an understanding that even though this is all we deserve God in His perfect love provided a way to, not only avoid this, but to enter into an intimate, loving relationship with Him through the death, burial and bodily resurrection of of His son Jesus; and instead of spending eternity separated from Him we can spend eternity with Him. If we can truly get this to sink into our dark, sinful hearts then we to would probably respond the way Job did; falling on our faces and praising Him for who He is.