A HEART OF WORSHIP

A Heart of Worship

The early mornings have become fresher and cooler, little dewdrops scattered like crystals on the crisp green grass. In moments like these, when I am walking outside in the cool, I feel the tug from somewhere deep inside to be quiet, to sit with, and to make space.

Quickly, as if it were a dream, the gentle tug gets drowned out by thoughts on the day, worries about life, and the to-do lists of things I have waiting for me in the day.

The spiral has happened more times than I can count. It made me wonder: what is it that separates the “good days,” those when I am able to wake up and connect with God almost immediately, from the days that feel like labour. Praying and reaching out to Him, but feeling like I’m wrestling a wall of distraction that keeps me from coherent prayer and hearing God speak.

Revelation 3:20 says:

'Behold, I stand at the door [of the church] and continually knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him (restore him), and he with Me. '

(emphasis added)

This verse begs a few questions. What is the door of the church, and why would Jesus need to continually knock? Why would he not just knock once and come in and never leave?

The verse is addressed to the church in Laodicea, which had become proud, self-sufficient, and spiritually lukewarm. If Jesus says He is knocking at the door of the church- and the church is a community of believers-it would not be a stretch to say we can keep Him out of our churches. We can keep Him out, due to our own self-sufficiency.

Why would Jesus continually knock? He owns everything, the Church is His bride- one would think He would “take the wheel” storm in and set His Church on fire for Him in one fell swoop. (I often pray like that- as if I sit on the sidelines of a play that He is directing-, playing in and making costumes and sets for. As if I am in the audience and not called to take the stage.)

I think He must continually knock because, unlike Him, we are ever-changing. Our hearts are easily moved here and there; we forget yesterday and constantly strive to adapt and attain, to increase. While there is nothing wrong with growth, there is something to be said of a heart condition that strives outside of His will.

The word "ambition" comes from the Latin word ambitiō, meaning "a going around" or "a striving for popularity". This referred to Roman politicians who would go "around" soliciting votes from people to gain favor and power.

We can be so caught up in our churches- trying to appease and gain favor with one another that we miss Him. When I think of my own heart, how easily it is satisfied with replacing His gentle tug towards intimacy and spending time together, with something so arbitrary as a to-do list, I wonder if I know what a heart of worship is.

Psalm 95 says:

'O come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord; Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with a song of thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with songs. For the Lord is a great God And a great King above all gods, In whose hand are the depths of the earth; The peaks of the mountains are His also’…

'For He is our God and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts and become spiritually dull as at Meribah [the place of strife], and as at Massah [the place of testing] in the wilderness. “When your fathers tested Me, they tried Me, even though they had seen My work [of miracles]. '

It was not only the Egyptians that hardened their hearts toward God- those closest to His wonder-working power did the same. They saw the miracles He did and yet chose to rely on themselves.

A heart of worship is setting down your tasks, your to-dos, your life goals, and TODAY, while it is still today, sitting down with Him who has prepared a meal for you. Eat His Words and live!

'Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.” Hebrews 3:15