Worship. What is it? As defined by Easton’s Bible Dictionary, it is ‘homage rendered to God.’ Homage to any created thing is sinful – the sun, the moon, the stars, your wife, your car, etc., anything! Only God is worthy of worship (Exodus 20:1-6). We can worship God in His fulness: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Indeed, He made us for that very purpose, and to give to Him the glory (1 Corinthians 10:31) forever.

Webster’s Dictionary defines worship as ‘chiefly and eminently paying divine honours to the Supreme Being; or the reverence and homage paid to Him in religious exercises, consisting in adoration, confession, prayer, thanksgiving and the like’.

God was not made. He has always existed. He is eternal; past, present and future and lives outside of time (Psalm 90:2; Romans 16:26; 1 Timothy 1:17). He is the “I AM WHO I AM (Exodus 3:14). He is Spirit (John 4:24). To manifest Himself He created the universe and the world (Acts 17:24) and sent His Son in the likeness of man (Romans 8:3) to the earth to reveal Himself to sinful men and women.

His purpose was and is to create for Himself a people with whom He can share His glory (John 17:22, 24); a people who will love Him as He loves them. He is a God of love. He is love (1John 4:16). To demonstrate the depth of His love He sent His Son Jesus to live a perfect life on earth and to die and suffer on a cross in the place of those whom He loves (Romans 5:8). What love this is that Christ should pay the price for sin! Costliness beyond our understanding (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Who can question why He chose to do this? No man or woman can judge God for the things He does. Can the clay say to the Potter why have you made me as I am? Why do you make some for glory and others for everlasting hell (Romans 9:21-24). In God’s justice and righteousness He punishes those who do not worship Him; those who do not praise Him for who He is – those who are lovers of themselves (2 Timothy 3:2) and those who disregard Him and do not honour Him.

God is the King of heaven (Daniel 4:37) and earth. He is a merciful and loving Father (John 14:21; 16:27; 1 John 3:1) who cares for His children. He provides them with all their needs. He gives them life in abundance (John 10:10). He heals their wounds (Isaiah 53:5) and makes them whole. He cleanses them and makes them perfect in the righteousness of His Son (2 Peter 1:1) who dwells in them, and they in Him (1 Corinthians 1:30). He gives them eternal life (John 3:15).

At the last hour when His Son comes to judge the world (Matthew 25:31-46), those in Him will rise and meet Him in the air. They will see Him as He is. Those who have lived dishonourable lives and have not repented of their sins will finally honour Him and bow the knee before Him, but they will never worship Him as the redeemed; instead they will live in torment in the lake of fire and brimstone with the devil, the beast and the false prophet (Revelation 20:10, 13-15).

How wonderful it is to be the chosen of God, a special people (1 Peter 2:9), a holy people, a blessed people who have the greatest of all privileges of worshiping a majestic (Hebrews 8:1) and merciful God (Exodus 34:6). There can be no greater gift than the gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23) in Him. He gives this freely to His beloved. His church on earth give Him praise, and the angels in heaven rejoice at sinners saved (Luke 15:7). They too forever enjoy Him, laud Him and bow down to Him in worship (Psalm 148:2; Hebrews 1:6; Revelation 7:11, 12).

All the redeemed praise the Lord (Psalm 146:2) for His mercy and love.

Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness (Psalm 29:2; 96:9)!

Amen.