When we worship God, we will experience personal transformation. It is impossible to stand in His presence and remain unchanged. True worship impacts us personally. David declared, “I was glad when they said to me, / ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord’ ” (Ps. 122:1, NKJV). He had discovered that in God’s presence is fullness of joy. We experience joy when we worship God in spirit and in truth. Though there is always the danger of getting carried away with hype and emotionalism (as seen in certain types of church services), there is also a danger of our worship being cold, dead, and lifeless.
In the context of war and devastation, the poet W. H. Auden wrote that humans were like children “lost in a haunted wood,” “afraid of the night,” and who “have never been happy or good.”* These depressing phrases capture the human situation in general. Fortunately, God wants to lead us out of this morass. Genesis 3:15 teaches us that as soon as there was sin there was a Savior.
Through the ages the Savior has revealed His plan of salvation, which offers hope and eternal life for fearful beings who are neither happy nor good. For centuries, the main way through which He revealed Himself was through the earthly sanctuary service, which provides principles for how one should worship God:
Through the ages the Savior has revealed His plan of salvation, which offers hope and eternal life for fearful beings who are neither happy nor good. For centuries, the main way through which He revealed Himself was through the earthly sanctuary service, which provides principles for how one should worship God:
- True worship comes from a willing heart (Exod. 25:1, 2). Going to worship because your dorm, college, or parents require you to is not true worship. Wanting to worship God constitutes genuine worship. We want to worship God when we have a loving relationship with Him.
- Each child of God uses his or her talents in worshiping God (Exod. 35:10–35). What talents do you have that you could share during your local church’s worship time? How can you use these same talents to make the most of your personal worship time?
- Worship includes the searching of our hearts and the confession of our sins, asking God for His forgiveness (Lev. 4:27–29). Others can pray for the Holy Spirit to touch our hearts. But only we as individuals can go to God, admit to Him our sins, and ask Him to forgive us. Perhaps after all is said and done, this is the essence of worship—kneeling before our Savior in heartfelt contrition for our innate sin and for the sinful acts we commit, longing as we do so to be healed by His wounds (Isa. 53:5).
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*W. H. Auden, “September 1, 1939.”
written by: Leonardo del Rosario Jr., Davao City, Philippines
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