simplicity of worship

Summer is often a time of
vacations, destinations, and explorations.
A chance to get away from the routine,
to detox from the stress of everyday
and breathe some different air.

And it really gives us a chance
to clear our head
and often our heart,
to take a fresh look
at ourselves
and our life.

And sometimes we might find
that our routine is not so bad
the way it is...
But sometimes, we find
that it has become so routine
that it simply has lost
all satisfaction.
And we realize that we need
to make a change.

How wonderful also
when we consider the same
of our worship.
Have we simply fallen into a routine,
or even fallen out of one...
causing us to only
go through the motions,
rather than truly connecting with God?

Sadly, that is what God addresses
to the people of Jerusalem.
While theirs may have been
to the extreme of exile and captivity,
we can certainly make changes
long before we too find ourselves
so far removed from true worship.

And so the Lord says,
“These people say they are mine.
They honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
And their worship of me
is nothing but man-made rules
learned by rote.
Isaiah 29:13 NKJV

For our God sees deep
within our hearts...
our motives and desires.

And He is not looking for
box-checking church goers.
He'd rather not even have us get up
on Sunday, if that's all we are...
rushing through the "religious" routine
with our to do list in hand.

God would rather we stand on a beach
singing within our heart,
basking in His beauty...
or standing on a mountain,
shouting out echoes of His name!

Everything on earth will worship You;
they will sing Your praises,
shouting Your name in glorious songs.
Psalm 66:4

Worshipping God, does not require
a pew, a steeple, a temple, nor stained glass.
Music is nice, but not necessary.
Worship of God is from the heart,
the soul, the spirit within.

Sing a new song to the Lord!
Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
Sing to the Lord; praise His name.
Each day proclaim
the good news that He saves.
Publish His glorious deeds among the nations.
Tell everyone about
the amazing things He does.
Psalm 96:1-3

We worship God from a sincere desire
to connect with Him, to learn more of Him
to humble ourselves and realize
that He is the creator...
and we are simply, the created.

He is our Shepherd, longing to lead us.
He is our Potter, longing to shape us.
​He is our Counselor, longing to guide us.

Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before Him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are His.
We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving;
go into His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him and praise His name.
For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and His faithfulness continues
​to each generation.
Psalm 100:1-5

Let us not complicate with rules
what God intended for connection.
Simply worship.

Word of God
train me, today...
To simply worship You.
To worship You simply.