Read Psalm 94-95
There's a French proverb that says, "A good meal ought to begin with hunger". Have you ever noticed that when you are truly hunger, just about anything tastes good? But a finely made meal when you're not hungry doesn't seem so appealing.
Worship is a crucial part of our walk with God. Psalms is a book filled with worship. The book was essential the hymnbook of the nation of Israel. It's filled with good meat for us to digest on what it looks like to worship God. But all the knowledge in the world won't matter if there isn't a hunger.
The American church loves worship music. The worship music industry has made many a worship musician wealthy. We now have worship music celebrities. But I wonder, have we subtly begun to worship the worship? The psalmist is clear that only God is to be on the minds of the worshipper.
Pleasing worship to God begins with a true hunger for God. And it isn't the result of the quality of music or the beauty of the voices, it's the result of a people humbled by the greatness and beauty of God. Psalm 95:6 says, "Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!"
Notice the words "bow down" and "kneel before the Lord". We are to enter worship not with the main goal to feel something or to get something out of it, but as a humble response to a glorious God. To please Him. To bless Him.
Again I ask, "Have we begun to worship the worship?" When we are concerned more about style than substance. When we only worship when things are going our way. When we only worship when the quality is good. When we willingly live in disobedience but think worship makes up for it. Those may be some signs that we are worshipping our worship.
Our most powerful moments of worship on Sunday will not revolve around how great the worship team was. It will be what we have done during the week. If we have hungered for God by reading His Word, praying, praising Him, and serving those around us, we will come with a hunger that will be filled on Sunday!
The old Maranatha! Music song "I love You, Lord", reflects where our hearts need to be in worship: "I love you, Lord. And I lift my voice. To worship you. O my soul, rejoice. Take joy, my King, in what you hear. May it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear." That reflects a hunger for worship. Let us not worship the worship, let us worship the Lord!
Do you struggle sometimes with worshipping the worship? Or do you struggle with having a hunger for worship?
What changes this week could help your worship of God? Look at the list of examples in the devotional. If any apply to you, spend some time confessing before our Savior.
Prayer for the day: "I love you, Lord. Help me lift my voice in holy and pure worship. Please take joy, my King, in what you hear. And may it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear. Amen."