Glory To His Name!

“Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” – 1 Chronicles 16:29

            God’s people have always gathered to worship.  The Jews gathered for Passover in Jerusalem, David danced before the Lord in the presence of all the people, Ezra read the law in sight of all the congregation.  Pentecost had a hundred and twenty in the house, and in the establishment of the early churches they were exhorted to assemble.  The followers of Christ gather to worship him.

Throughout the world we find elements of worship but not the very thing itself.  We see men and women gathering to a sports team, band, or a specific person of fame.  They show reverent love for that person (or entity) and would gladly devote their time, money, and energy to glimpse their glory.  There are men who worship their women and women who worship their man.  The worship of money, recognition, government, ideals, and patriotism are common as well.  There are elements of worship without the church as well as within the church.  All too often the experience of “church” (i.e. the songs, the crowd, the talent, the emotion, and the notion that unless you have these things then you have failed to worship) is enough; never mind if Christ is glorified, or God magnified.  We find elements of worship, but false worship, counterfeit.  So, one could argue no worship at all.  Worship is not a production or theater; it is the flower seeking to bask in the warmth of the Son Jesus Christ.  The mountains climb to touch the heavens.  It is the whole of our existence endeavoring to give glory unto the Lord.  Granted, what is within may well produce what is without, i.e. singing, praying, rising of hands, rising emotion, etc.  But that is not the emphasis.  It cannot be, else one day your worship will run dry, and turn false.  Thankfully, God gives us direction and he calls us to worship “in Spirit and in truth”; he calls us to “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness”.  God is worthy of this worship.  There is tremendous value in meeting, praying, singing, and preaching.  However, the emphasis and validity of worship doesn’t rest completely on the gathering.  True worship must be an inward experience before it can be an outward one.   

The beauty of the earth testifies to the glory of God.  The majesty of it all bends to God's will in worship.  The magnificence of creation displaying and proving God’s mighty hand.  What the creation is without, holiness is within.  The beauty of holiness within testifies to the glory of God.  Not choosing your own way, or seeking your own pleasure, but the surrendering of your will to Christ; and gladly so.  Offer yourself a living sacrifice, so that God can get glory out of your life.  This genuine experience of the heart brings about genuine, true worship and it manifests itself when we gather.  It manifests itself because we have been in prayer, in devotion, in study of scripture, in good works, in testifying to the Lord Jesus, in loving our neighbor and living the scriptures.   Then when we are at times singing, lifting our hands, testifying of Jesus’s goodness, preaching with faithfulness; the Spirit of God sanctions the worship and inhabits our praise.  It is something that cannot be manufactured, only manifested.  Manifested according to God’s divine will.  Thank God for true worship!  Collectively, individually, within and without.  Thank God for worship.  Glory To His Name!