Isaiah 30-31
Philippians 4
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1
The story of Cain and Abel shows us two types of worship. Cain offered sloppy worship to God and became downcast when God would not accept his offering. When God provided multiple opportunities for Cain to enter back into favour, Cain refused. His hatred of the ideal embodied in his brother, Abel, eventually led to murder. Abel, however, displayed the exact opposite. He brought his best, the choicest parts of his life before God. He also responded to God’s invitation and lived in the goodness of who God is. Abel had a heart of worship that delighted in God, prioritizing God with his time, talent, treasure and sacrifice.
In the New Testament, Paul reflects on all that God has done for us in the person of Jesus Christ and sees our whole lives as an act of worship. He writes, “So we make it our goal to please Him” (2 Corinthians 5:9) and “…let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). What Paul was saying to the church is in light of God’s goodness and the mercy of Christ, we are to live our lives in a way that puts a smile on God’s face.
Maybe like Cain, we are not in a good place, not prioritizing proper worship and not orienting our life around God. We are not without hope because God sent His Son as the ultimate sacrifice for all our sins and disobedience. He is the pathway back into living within God’s favour. Jesus lived the perfect life that we could not live and died the death that we all deserve so that we might be reconciled to God. There is nothing that we could have done that disqualifies us from receiving His invitation.
If we find ourselves identifying with Abel and are in a good place, enjoy this season, even if others are looking at us and despising us in their heart because we are happy with God. John Piper once said, “God created the universe so that it would display the worth of His glory. And He created us so that we would see this glory and reflect it by knowing and loving it—with all our heart and soul and mind and strength.” We were created to worship. In fact, everything we do flows from a heart of worship. Some of us associate worship with singing, but it is only a form of worship that is often referred to as “praise” in Scripture. True and proper worship is yielding our whole life to God in loving submission, bringing our life before Him and bowing to His will and desire.
Dear God, I want to put a smile on Your face. I choose to yield my whole life to You in loving submission as an act of true and proper worship. Praise You!
Philippians 4
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1
The story of Cain and Abel shows us two types of worship. Cain offered sloppy worship to God and became downcast when God would not accept his offering. When God provided multiple opportunities for Cain to enter back into favour, Cain refused. His hatred of the ideal embodied in his brother, Abel, eventually led to murder. Abel, however, displayed the exact opposite. He brought his best, the choicest parts of his life before God. He also responded to God’s invitation and lived in the goodness of who God is. Abel had a heart of worship that delighted in God, prioritizing God with his time, talent, treasure and sacrifice.
In the New Testament, Paul reflects on all that God has done for us in the person of Jesus Christ and sees our whole lives as an act of worship. He writes, “So we make it our goal to please Him” (2 Corinthians 5:9) and “…let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). What Paul was saying to the church is in light of God’s goodness and the mercy of Christ, we are to live our lives in a way that puts a smile on God’s face.
Maybe like Cain, we are not in a good place, not prioritizing proper worship and not orienting our life around God. We are not without hope because God sent His Son as the ultimate sacrifice for all our sins and disobedience. He is the pathway back into living within God’s favour. Jesus lived the perfect life that we could not live and died the death that we all deserve so that we might be reconciled to God. There is nothing that we could have done that disqualifies us from receiving His invitation.
If we find ourselves identifying with Abel and are in a good place, enjoy this season, even if others are looking at us and despising us in their heart because we are happy with God. John Piper once said, “God created the universe so that it would display the worth of His glory. And He created us so that we would see this glory and reflect it by knowing and loving it—with all our heart and soul and mind and strength.” We were created to worship. In fact, everything we do flows from a heart of worship. Some of us associate worship with singing, but it is only a form of worship that is often referred to as “praise” in Scripture. True and proper worship is yielding our whole life to God in loving submission, bringing our life before Him and bowing to His will and desire.
Dear God, I want to put a smile on Your face. I choose to yield my whole life to You in loving submission as an act of true and proper worship. Praise You!
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