Enthusiastic in Worship

"Psalm 47:1-9

Worship God

The psalmist calls us to worship God. (The original context may have been that God had given his people victory in battle.)

Worship in this psalm sounds quite emotional and noisy: ‘Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy … God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets’ (vv.1,5). It also includes lots of singing (vv.6–7).

There is great exuberance to their worship, as their adoration and amazement of God bubbles over in extravagant action.

These are all outward ways of expressing our worship of the Lord. Worship includes the use of emotions to express your love and gratitude to God and to bring him honour.

As Joyce Meyer writes, ‘God gave us emotions for more purposes than just being enthusiastic at a ball game or about a new car. Surely God wants us to employ our emotions in expressing our love and gratitude to Him ... If we had a proper emotional release during praise and worship, we might not release emotions at other times in improper ways.’

Lord, today I submit myself to you. Quicken my conscience with your holiness. Nourish my mind with your truth. Purify my imagination with your beauty. Open my heart to your love. I surrender my all to your purpose. I worship and adore you."

1. Hallelujah for emotions! May I be more enthusiastic in worshiping you!

"Luke 18:1-30

Follow Jesus

There is nothing more rewarding than following Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, ‘We have left all we had to follow you!’ (v.28). Jesus replies, ‘I tell you the truth … no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life’ (vv.29–30)

Jesus calls the rich young ruler to the God-centred life. He calls him to give up everything else and follow him (v.22). Perhaps Jesus saw in him the potential to be like the apostle Peter, or Matthew, or one of the others who responded positively when Jesus said ‘follow me’.

The more we accumulate the harder it is to live God-centred lives. The rich young ruler ‘became very sad, because he was very wealthy’ (v.23). It is not impossible for the rich to enter the kingdom of God (v.27), but it is very hard (vv.24–25) – not because the standards are higher, but because the risk appears greater.

In fact, it is impossible for any one of us, including the rich, to enter the kingdom of God on the strength of our own performance (vv.24–25). Yet with God it is possible for anyone, including the rich, to enter the kingdom of God (v.27). Neither our past failings nor our present circumstances need determine our future. With God all things are possible.

Lord, thank you that there is nothing more rewarding than following you. Help me to be willing to give up everything else in order to follow you whole-heartedly."

2.  Yes, Lord, help me to serve you whole-heartedly. Thank You for the gift of grace.

"‘Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us’ (Galatians 3:13).

Lord, thank you so much that you died in my place so I can be forgiven and set free from the consequences that I deserve. Thank you that you call me to a God-centred life. Help me to worship you wholeheartedly, to serve you joyfully and gladly, and to obey and follow you always."

3.  Thank You for eternal life. Thank You for chances, Thank You for Your salvation.