THE IMPORTANCE OF WORSHIPING GOD

Psalm 134 is the last Song of Ascent. All in all, there are 15 Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120 through 134). The traveling Jews sang these Songs of Ascent as they walked through rugged terrain to go to the temple in Jerusalem for their annual festivals to worship and give sacrifices for the forgiveness of their sins. Psalm 134 is a final call to the priests and people to worship God. Psalm 134 says, "Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion, he who is the Maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 134 mentions two groups of servants: the common people who come during the day to offer their sacrifices and offerings to the Lord as an act of their worship, and the priests who serve God in the temple at night. The writer of this Psalm was encouraging everyone to continue to worship and praise God, who made the heaven and earth, signifying that God is their protector and provider of their lives. 

Worshiping God is a part of our day-to-day relationship with God. It is how we give honor, thanksgiving, love, and adoration to God who loves and cares about us. We worship God not only because He helps us in times of our need or protects us from harm, but we also worship Him for who He is. He is the God who created the universe and the earth that we are living in. Despite the effect of sins in this world, God never ceases to show His love towards us. Our Lord Jesus came to this world as a human being like us to relate with us and to die for our sins. It is through His death and resurrection that we received our forgiveness. We were once separated from Him because of our sins, but now we have become His children through our faith in our Lord Jesus. God loved us not because we are lovable, but because He chose to love us. God does not owe us anything, yet He keeps on showing his kindness towards us despite our weaknesses, mistakes, and faults. The Jews sacrificially took the long journey through rugged terrain to go to the temple to worship God because they honor and worship God. 

Worshiping God does not only happen on Sunday when we go to church, but we worship God every day by living according to His will. We must continue to put God in the forefront of our minds as if we are walking with Him. In every decision we make, we must consider God's ways. Our daily attitude also must align with the way God wants us to live. If we struggle to worship God daily, we should ask Him in our prayers to change our hearts and renew our minds, for only He can help us worship Him consistently.

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) Do I worship God? If I do, how often do I worship Him? Why do I need to worship God? If I am struggling to worship Him, what should I do?

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Father in Heaven, thank you for reminding me this morning of the importance of worshiping you. I praise you because you are my God. I ask for your guidance in helping me to worship you each day through my thoughts, behaviors, and interactions with others. I want my attitude to show my respect to you, and my actions to reflect my worship to you. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.