Worship

"worship before the Lord your God"

Deuteronomy 26:10

You know what's a weird word?  Worship.  Weird, I think, because it's not easily defined.  It's not easily understood.  If you asked several people, you'd get several different ideas of what it means to worship God.

Interestingly, a lot of them would probably say something having to do with music.  But the definition of worship doesn't say anything about music.  That's simply what it's come to mean to a lot of people. 

Worship, the noun, describes a feeling.  It's reverence, and adoration for God, or that reverence shown through action or ceremony.   As a verb, it means to treat someone with honor or reverence. 

Now, that very well might be through music.  Certainly David's psalms are worship.  But I think the singing we do in church isn't necessarily worship.  Sometimes it's just singing.  I think that the truer purpose of the worship music at church is about reminding us why we sing.  Remembering who He is, and why He is worthy.  The word actually comes from an Old English word for "acknowledging worth". 

The first instance of the word in Scripture is in Genesis, as you might expect, but not until chapter 22.  Not until Abraham.  And then when did Abraham worship God?  When he was on his way, he thought, to sacrifice his only son.  Of course, God didn't make him do that, but Abraham didn't know that yet.  And yet he worshipped.

I don't know about you, but I pretty much only worship when I'm in a good mood.  When I feel like it.  I gotta change that...

I also noticed, while perusing through Scripture looking to learn about worship, that the act of worship is frequently accompanied by people bowing.  Like in Exodus 4:31 ~ "so the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped."

That's such a beautiful picture, isn't it?

Though I've been reminded again, by thinking about all this, that worship is not just about music, I also love some instruction on worship I got from a song.  It's a Jeremy Camp song called "You're Worthy of my Praise" and I love it because it makes me look at worship from so many angles. 

I will worship, with all of my heart

I will praise You, with all of my strength

I will seek You, all of my days

I will follow, all of Your ways

I will bow down, and hail You as King

I will serve You, give You everything

I will lift up, my eyes to Your throne

I will trust You, trust You alone

I will give You all my worship

I will give You all my praise

You alone are worthy of my praise

So what does it mean to worship?   All of this is worship.   Praising Him, seeking Him, following Him.  Bowing down to hail Him as King.  Serving, giving, trusting, and lifting my eyes to His throne.   Acknowledging that He is worthy.

~ "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him 

   must worship in spirit and truth" ~

John 4:24