Worship.
We talk about it. We go to places of worship as we call them. We sing songs of worship, as we call them. I wonder does GOD call it worship? Do you ever wonder that too?
But are we worshipping The One True God? And how can we know if we are or are not?
What is worship anyway?
All good questions. Can we answer them here? I don’t know, but we can seek answers here for sure.
Are you familiar with the story of Nebuchadnezzar, his statute, and his demand of the people in the plain of Dura? If you are not I hope you will use the link above and read Chapter 3 of the Book of Daniel.
There were three (3) Hebrews in the province of Babylon named, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Those were their Babylonian names. Their Hebrew names were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, respectively. (If you are interested in a little more about their names, click HERE.)
So what was going on in Babylon?
Nebuchadnezzar. Poor guy. He was so messed up but GOD loved him -and he was not even a Jew. Chapters 1 through 4 of Daniel tell the story of Nebuchadnezzar. I am thinking he finally got it right and I am thinking we might get to meet him in Heaven. I am hoping so.
But I’m off point.
In Chapter 3, Nebuchadnezzar is so full of himself, that he had a statute of himself erected and he demanded to be WORSHIPPED.
That set me off on this trail.
Nebuchadnezzar, in my humble opinion, was set on controlling the people. And that meant obedience. I mean you can’t control the people, unless they obey you. Can you?
It seems to me man is never satisfied as long as he wants to control other men (please understand this includes women too – as all mankind). There’s just something about people that causes them to want to control other people. And it causes so many problems. But I’m slightly off-point.
Worship.
We can attend a song service, sing every song, raise our hands, and jump a pew, but if we are not yielded to consistently, daily, obeying GOD, we are not worshipping Him. Instead, we just may be worshipping the traditions of men.
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah understood obedience. They understood that bowing down before that statute was an affront to The One and Only Holy Holy Holy GOD. And they refused to do it.
Worship. I made a note in the margin of my Bible.
True worship is yielding to the CONTROL of GOD.
Am I yielded to being controlled by GOD?
Daily, consistently?
Am I ever growing more and more obedient to Him?
Am I more and more obeying what I read in the Bible, practicing the commands and precepts found there?
Practicing them in my home? Practicing them in public?
More and more times are coming to afford us opportunities to choose to worship (obey) GOD or the traditions of men.
Today we can examine ourselves and we can pray, for ourselves and each other. Not a one of us is exempt from the distractions, snares, strategies, and traditions set in place by the evil one. Let us guard our hearts and all our senses so that we will grow more and more obedient and thereby worship our GOD with every breath. 1 Peter 5:7-9, Proverbs 4:22-24
It’s not the music. It’s not the song. It’s not the sermon. It’s not the place. It’s OBEDIENCE.
Nebuchadnezzar wanted to control the people, he lusted for worship. And from the majority, he got it. There are many Nebuchadnezzars in our world, sometimes they are people, sometimes, just things.
WORSHIP GOD.
Only HE is worthy.
HE is the ONLY safe One to worship.
The only safe one to unconditionally obey.
