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.
Reordering Our Priorities
The northern tribes of Israel in Amos' time seemed like they were doing all the right things. They offered sacrifices to God and were exact in their religious observations. And yet, the book of Amos is written to them as a warning—a warning that destruction that would befall them if they refused to change?
Why?
Because they had neglected the true heart of loving and worshiping God.
While they were doing many of the "right" things, it's what they weren't doing that God wanted to address. They failed to take care of the poor and needy. They turned their eyes away from injustice. Many had turned to idols for help and prayer.
Through Amos, God told the people of Israel that it is just as important to be righteous inwardly as it is outwardly. We cannot say we love God and others when we fail to help people who are within our power to help.
Just as James 1:27 tells us, true religion includes helping orphans, widows, and those who are in distress. James goes on to write ...