Tuesday, December 20, 2022
December 20, 2022
What first pops into your mind when you hear the word “worship”?
I often hear that praising God through song—the worship part of service—is the favorite part for many who attend church. Worship connects our hearts not only to God but also to our fellow Jesus followers. There is something special about gathering with the church and humbling ourselves before the Lord, thanking him for his unfailing love and incomparable grace.
As we learned in the message during the second week of our Gift of Words series, singing is mentioned over 400 times in the Bible. But worship is not limited to song. Ultimately, it’s a heart posture that acknowledges God’s glory.
Psalm 95:6 states it this way, “Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for he is our God.” He is worthy of our full allegiance and devotion. Worship is our utmost acknowledgement of God’s rightful place over us as our Sovereign.
Worship can and should be an active part of our daily lives. There are many ways we can give our praises and thanks to God in all aspects of our lives—through music and the arts, meditating on his word, reading and studying the Bible, spending time outdoors in his creation, praying, and using our gifts in service to others no matter how humble they may seem. Worship is about remembering God’s characteristics and attributes; it is about being in awe of the power, mercy, and grace of our King.
Ultimately, worship is about keeping God the center of our lives.
Advent is a time when we anticipate and celebrate the greatest blessing of all time—the birth of Jesus, our Savior, the one who would fulfill God’s promises to save his people from their sins. (Something no person is able to do for themself.) We not only worship God for his character and sovereignty but also for the fulfillment of long-awaited promises.
Isaiah 25:1
O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them.
I can only imagine how Mary felt when the angel Gabriel told her that God chose her, a humble servant girl, to be the mother of Jesus Christ. She could have reacted with anxiety or worry, but her immediate reaction was to praise and worship God! Her soul and her entire being praised the Lord for his character and his unfailing grace.
Luke 1:46-49
46 Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. 47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! 48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. 49 For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me.
This Christmas, let us remember to worship God for all that he has done! We were created to worship him—a God so good that he sacrificed his one and only Son and dwelled among us on earth. A God who loves us so much that he took our sins upon himself to save us from spending eternity separated from him.
All glory be to God in the highest!
Questions:
What is your favorite way to worship God?
How can you incorporate worship into your daily life?
Next Steps:
Attend a Christmas service. Invite a friend to worship God with you!
This week, set apart time to intentionally worship God for all he has done.
Attend GrowthTrack and discover the gifts God has given you so that you may serve him in his kingdom now.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for all that you have done in our lives and for all the blessings that you have given us. We give all our thanks and praise to you, and we worship you for your abundant love and care. Help us remember to take time to intentionally worship you and recenter our hearts upon you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Parent Resource:
Read Luke 2:15-16 together as a family. Grab a gingerbread man, or other Christmas cookie, for each member of the family to place on their forehead. Race to see who can shimmy the cookie down and bite it first before it drops. No hands!
This post was written by Isabelle Billnitzer. Isabelle is a regular attender of CedarCreek and serves in the children’s ministry. She is passionate about writing and loves spending time with her family and friends. Her goal is to show people the love of Jesus Christ.