Acceptable Worship

Who takes the place of honor in our life? Imagine the President of the country giving a speech. What would most likely happen? Of course, we will give our best behavior. We listen attentively. We would not be whispering on the sides or strike a conversation while he is speaking infront. We would not dare to take out cellphones to play a game or make a call infront of him. It simply is not acceptable for a man we consider to be honorable. We show respect and we give the due honor he deserves. How about God? How about when we go to the presence of our great and mighty God? Do we do the same? Do we give the focused attention He deserves?

God deserves the utmost reverence and worship. “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” – Hebrews 12:28-29. To realize that our God is a consuming fire is both a frightful and awesome thing. It is the very reason why we need to worship God with reverence and awe. In the Bible, reverence means giving “honor” and “obedience” to someone in superior. In many cases, that is, showing honor and obedience to God being superior to us in all accounts. He is our God and when we follow Him, He is our Master. On the other hand, awe also means “reverential fear” to God. Admittedly, at times, I fail in this matter. God, sometimes, has become a too friendly companion and too casual Person. There are times in my quiet time with Him when I would open the Bible and start reading His Word but I lose track of what I am meditating on. Or I would close my eyes and pray and in the middle of my prayer, I would be surprised that I am already thinking of my busy task ahead or matters about my children or my plans. I feel guilty about it because I do not give God the focused attention He deserves. Sometimes, I am more focused in my work than when I am spending time with Him in prayer and in His Word. Or I am more focused when I am watching my favorite movie. Come to think of it, a best friend or a spouse would get hurt when we do not give them our focused attention. In the same manner and much more important is our relationship to our holy God. The next time we pray, we open our Bible, or we are sitting on the pew in the church listening, or we obey Him through different acts of services, let us show that reverential fear that is an acceptable worship to our God. Love for God is spelled out in how we worship Him and how we obey Him. We obey a God who is a consuming fire. As King David said, “But King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will buy them for the full price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” – 1 Chronicles 21:24. God does not deserve less of us. Let us offer to Him that which costs us —- love, adoration, respect, time, service, money, and our life. Simply because He is our God and we belong to Him. Yes, we may fail. But it is never too late to obey God and start doing what is pleasing to Him. Above all, Jesus helps us in our weakness. When we are distracted and we cannot give God the full attention He deserves and the reverence we should give Him, He is there to help us do that. Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more (Romans 5:20).