Meditation

Meditation for 11/07/2019

“So if you faithfully obey the commands. I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 11:13)

Beloved, worship has at least two distinct aspects: adoration or praise, and obedience or service. To worship God is to “serve” (Hebrew – ‘abad), that is to do the work of a slave (Hebrew – ‘ebed).

Such worship or service is done in reverential fear and the wonder of adoring awe, not grudgingly in face of threatened punishment. Service grows out of love and devotion. Worship is not outward actions as much as inner devotion (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16).

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Precious Abba, in our worship, we are to display outwardly, what we feel deeply inside of us our love and devotion. We should never seem to be obedient because of a threat of punishment; rather, others should see us with adoring awe and our service reveals that we do so out of love and a devotional attitude. Amen

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“What does a dead atheist and a Christian have in common? Both believe in God.”

KNOWING GOD:

With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:6-8)

God is a loving God and full of compassion. Will He punish, yes, but He would much rather give us the desires of our hearts. If we come before Him demanding anything, we will receive nothing but silence. However, if we live our lives within His will, making our lives a model of obedience and joy and obedience to Him, then by living in His will, He will give us what we ask for. However, to go before Him as if we have somehow “earned” something from Him, He will not even respond to us. Being in relationship with God through Christ, gives us an opportunity to worship and serve Him in and through our lives. Our relationship with Him will grow and mature and our response to Him is with joy and awe of our Almighty God.

I AM:

Worship, Service: (Revelation 22:3)

Committed and obedient service is a prominent aspect of true worship. To worship (Greek – proskuneo) means fall down with face to the ground in humble adoration. The outward act expresses an inward attitude of reverence and humility. To worship is to serve (Greek – latreuo). This Greek term originally referred to wages paid laborers. It came to mean service without wages, then service in the worship place. It may be translated “serve” or “worship”. Genuine worship involves committed service and committed service grows from a committed heart.

Second Thought of the Day:

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your god, and serve him only.’” (Matthew 4:10)

Jesus, quoting Deuteronomy 6:13, (“Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.”). Jesus emphasized the Judaic tradition that God alone is worthy of worship. Prayer should be directed to no one else.

Beloved, God’s commandments were given to us for our good, to teach us proper reverence for Him, and to bring us long and abundant life. We are to fear God only and to prove our reverence for Him by obeying His commandments.