WORSHIP
Psalm 106
“Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord or fully declare his praise? Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right.”
Instead of reading this as the Psalmist emphasising that God is so wonderful that no one is able to fully declare his praise, I first read it as asking the question as to who is qualified to stand in God’s Presence in worship; only those who are truly righteous.
I have been faithfully going to church on Sundays to worship God and this question never crosses my mind. Am I acceptable in the Presence of God to worship him and praise his name?
Rather, my attitude usually is that I have come to fulfil my duty as a member of the congregation.
And so I don’t think about my attitude, I don’t rein in my thoughts and my feelings: whether I want to be there, whether I like being there, whether I am there to praise and worship God; they don’t matter; just that I am physically there I am doing right.
And this is because I pay little notice to God, I pay lip service to Jesus’ sacrifice on my behalf, I have forgotten his hand on my life all these years as I journey through life. I grumble to him because things are not the way I want them to be. I take him for granted.
The basis for all these is not wrong theologically. We are saved from our sin by grace and can boldly enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus. We called to be a worshipping community. As individuals, God calls us into an honest relationship with him. Attitudinally, however, I am not fit to be in God’s Presence to worship him.
“We have sinned, even as our ancestors did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly. Save us, Lord our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, “Amen!” Praise the Lord.”