Worshiping A Good God
Worshiping God is one of the most central and basic aspects of the Christian life. God’s people actively engage in worship of God all through Scripture. The Bible is filled with songs and poems dedicated to worshiping God.
While we often think of worship as singing songs of praise, worship can be much more than that. Actually, when we limit our worship of God to only singing, we miss out on a vital aspect of the Christian life.
Worship in Scripture is more than just singing. It is rightly thinking about and praising God for who He is and what He has done. Worship happens when we recognize God as God—when we’re in awe of His character and His provisions.
This means that we can worship God at any moment of our day. When we thank God for His kindness, that is worship. When we are in awe of His beauty, that is worship.
In Isaiah 25:1, the prophet Isaiah praises God in this way. Isaiah thanks God for being who He is, for being a very personal God to him. He also worships God for His faithfulness, which is an aspect of God’s character. Lastly, Isaiah praises God for all of the wonderful things He has done.
Isaiah may not have been singing a song at the time, but his words and actions tell us that he was worshiping God for who He is and what He has done. Isaiah was in awe of how great and wonderful God is.
Spend some time today thinking about God. Consider His character, that He is good, faithful, and loving. Think about the things He has blessed you with. Sit for a few minutes in awe of God and simply worship Him.
Remembering God
Have you ever been awestruck by a sunset? Or left speechless by the meticulous details of the living cell, the human eye, the mysterious ocean, or the vast universe? How often do you think about what God has made, or the ways that He has worked?
The psalmist Asaph, wrote:
“I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy, What god is great like our God?"
Psalm 77:12-13 ESV
One of the best things we can do is remember God—how He gives good gifts, writes the best stories, and is constantly making beauty from ashes. He created us, pursued us, and even gave His own life for us.
But remembering God takes intentionality.
Remembering God doesn't happen on accident, which is why we have to intentionally commit to reflecting on Him each day. Purposefully remembering God’s bigness helps us recognize our smallness. Deliberately recalling His goodness helps us understand our deep need for Him.
Pondering God’s work and meditating on ...
“And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Beth-el. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth-el. And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, ...
The Mission of God
All of our lives are spent on something. Most people spend their days focused on growing a family, building their career, or amassing possessions.
While none of those things are necessarily wrong, they can become distractions from our ultimate goal in life.
In the book of Acts, we see Paul’s transformation in Christ. As a result of meeting Jesus and being changed by His grace, Paul spends the rest of his life preaching the good news of Jesus.
For Paul, God’s grace and salvation are so great that nothing on this earth is as important as God’s work.
Paul says that nothing in His life matters as much as telling others about God’s grace. His goal in life was to finish his own race well by faithfully accomplishing as much of the mission of God as possible:
"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace."
Acts 20:24 NIV
The mission ...