Joy is About Worship

“Let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
    let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
    that those who love your name may exult in you.”
Psalm 5:11

Did you know that we as God’s people are both commanded to rejoice and are characterized by rejoicing? To hear that joyfully rejoicing is not an option may land on some ears with hope and promise. If joy is commanded, then joy must be attainable. It should be a comfort to us reading the Bible and seeing that joy is possible. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” Philippians 4:4. So why are so many of us not characterized by joy? Even when we are striving to be in a right relationship with God, something still might feel like it is missing. 

My pastor likes to call worship worth-ship. He shares often that if you are not rejoicing and you do not have joy in the Lord, then perhaps it is because you don’t see God as being worthy of your worship. If God was worthy of your worship, then you would be characterized by the joy of the Lord and desire to praise Him and grow in the knowledge of Christ. “True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him” John 4:23. This is where idols play a big part in hindering us from joy. When we place something else in the pedestal to worship instead of God we are saying this thing, or this dream, or this job is worth worshiping over God. “If I could only be a mother”, “if I could just find what career path I am supposed to have.” When we place being a mom or businesswoman as our idol we will not want to worship God rightly because we are distracted by lesser things.

In 1 John 5:21, John shares a profound statement about idols. “Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.” What he is referring to is ascribing worth to trivial things because they can easily begin to take precedence in our hearts. If you lack joy and in turn lack a desire to worship God through rejoicing, I would recommend opening your Bible and searching for texts about God so you can work on understanding why God should be worthy of your worship. I could write all day on who God is in Scripture, but you have Scripture available to you, at this very moment, to read and decipher on your own what you believe about the words on the pages.

Questions to Ponder: 

1. Who or what do you find more worthy than God to seek satisfaction in? 

2. Do you believe God is worthy of your worship? Why or why not?

3. What does it mean to worship God in spirit and in truth?  

Today’s Reading:

Psalm 5