1 PETER 1:8-9

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,  for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

TO PONDER

I have just finished attending a conference with the theme of "Community and Worship". One of the speakers shared that in his opinion, the word 'worship' has lost its true meaning and it is something we need to reclaim before the word becomes meaningless. I was sceptical at first but as he continued to explain, I began to wonder if he had a point.

These days we use the word 'worship' more often as and adjective, a describing word. We have worship services, worship leaders, worship pastors, worship spaces, and worship music just to name a few. But worship was the response of the disciples to the kind of 'inexpressible and glorious joy' talked about in today's reading. Upon realising the reality of their salvation in Christ through his death and resurrection, the disciples returned to Jerusalem with 'great joy' (Lk 24:52).

Worship is not our gathering on Sunday, although our Sunday gatherings certainly involve and include worship. Worship is not the songs we sing to God, although they are one way we can try to express our inexpressible and glorious joy to God for who he is and all he has done for us. Worship is not a feeling although when we live lives of worship, we might find our feelings and attitudes change.

Worship is simply giving 'worth' and glory to God for who he is and what he has done. You can do this on your own, in your house, at the shops or anywhere else. You can do it together with other believers as you gather together in buildings on a Sunday, or as you gather together in each others homes, or at your kids sporting events or your local coffee shop. It might include singing, it might not. However you do it make sure you know what it is you are doing... You are giving your best human effort to express an inexpressible joy to an incomprehensible God for his eternally enduring love and mercy toward you. Trying to put expression to the value and importance and 'worth' of who God is and what he has done. Our worship will never be enough to fully express the worth of God and his love and grace towards us... and yet ultimately, it is all we have to give.

PRAYER: Lord God, I'm sorry when I lose sight of the glory and majesty, awe and wonder of who you are and all that you have done to claim me as your own. Please help me to grow in my understanding of how deep and wide and high your love is for me and for all people. Help me to show more of that love today and to never stop giving you all the glory. Amen

Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle