WHEN THEY HEARD THE LORD WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THEM AND HAD SEEN THEIR MISERY, THEY BOWED DOWN AND WORSHIPED. EXODUS 3:31B
God is concerned about me. He is near. I do not worship him in an attempt to get him to notice me, but I worship him in response to his love for me. He is not an uncaring God who stands far off, asking me to do rituals and perform to entice him to come. He is here. Not because I deserve it, but because he loves me.
I do not worship to bring him near, I worship BECAUSE he is near. Always. Every single day of my life. He has promised to never leave. On my very worst day, he stands ready to act. He wants to display his loving, merciful and caring heart in my everyday life. When I begin to see this, my heart can’t help but respond in worship. Worship is a response of love back to the one who IS love. My job is to love back. I only love because he first loved me.
Father, Thank you that your love for me doesn’t depend on me or who I am, but instead it depends on who you are. I can never do a thing to make you love me more or less than you already do. Your love for me is constant and unchanging. Forgive me for worshiping you in an attempt to gain something you have so freely given. When I worship to gain, it’s all about me again. Help me know and understand your heart for me. Let your love so captivate me that I can’t help but worship. Open my eyes where I can’t see it, heal the places that keep me from accepting it, and strip away those things that stand in the way of me noticing it. I want you.
I DO NOT WORSHIP TO BRING HIM NEAR, I WORSHIP BECAUSE HE IS NEAR.