How would you define worship of Jesus and what does your worship look like?
In our family Bible study
time last night, we discussed what worship of God includes and whether all
prayers are worship or only those prayers where we are praising God for His
attributes. I said God always wants to hear from His children, but some of our
prayers are often selfish. Sarah asked if her prayers for help on her school
work were selfish. I said partially, because we often want help first for
ourselves and then for God’s glory. God wants to help us accomplish the things
He has purposed for us to do (such as school and work). So, our prayers for
help can be worshipful if we truly desire the help so we can honor God and
bring Him glory.
Later last night, Sarah stayed
up to finish some math homework, and I sat beside her, reading Kent’s
devotional from earlier in the day. I shared some of his devotional with Sarah,
as his discussion about the difference between asking God to improve our
situation versus asking God to transform our hearts tied right in with our
earlier discussion during family Bible study! How often we get distracted, though,
and aren’t living life with the purpose of worshipping God.
If we aren’t living life
worshipping God, then we are distracted by the world. However, the world can’t
eternally satisfy and will come to an end, as Revelation describes.
Revelation 18:1-8 After this I saw another angel coming down from
heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his
splendor. 2 With a mighty voice he shouted:
“‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’
She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.
3 For all the nations have drunk
the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her
excessive luxuries.”
4 Then I
heard another voice from heaven say:
“‘Come out of her, my people,’
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
5 for her sins are piled up to heaven,
and God has remembered her crimes.
6 Give back to her as she has given;
pay her back double for what she has done.
Pour her a double portion from her own cup.
7 Give her as much torment and grief
as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
In her heart she boasts,
‘I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;
I will never mourn.’
8 Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake
her:
death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,
for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
The world, Babylon the Great
Prostitute (as we saw in Revelation 17), all those opposed to God and His ways
will be consumed by fire. God’s judgment will fall.
As verse 4 calls, where do
you and I need to come out of Babylon? What is distracting us from true worship
of Jesus? I pray you and I will desire to live a life that is worshipful to God
and undistracted by the shallow and temporal lures of the world. Jesus is
worthy of undistracted worship.
