January 23 – The Art of Worship (Psalm 89:14-18)

“Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of Your presence, O Lord.”(Psalm 89:15)

IN WORD:
Worship is a learned art. It is an attitude of the heart that continually acknowledges God and values His character. It is the ultimate reflection of reality in the mind of the believer. And it is the key to blessing.
Observe any Christian who is perpetually struggling with personal flaws or overwhelming circumstances, and you will likely see a Christian whose eyes are on himself. It is a natural human tendency, but it is rarely fruitful. Worship changes that. It gives us a new perspective, taking us out of the realm of oppression — an unnecessary state for anyone who takes the Bible’s promises seriously — and placing us in the realm of God’s power, wisdom & love — the realm of eternal truth. It opens the eyes to what is real.
With natural eyes, we often see our struggles as huge obstacles and our chances of overcoming them as slim. We are easily overwhelmed. We know our limitations, and God’s omnipotence seems distant. But when we acclaim Him, as the psalm says, we shed those earthbound illusions. Our worship brings us into the light of His presence and reminds us of who He really is. It radically alters our perspective. Where we once thought our struggles were great and our God might be small, we realize that our God is great and our struggles are small.

IN DEED:
There is great blessing in knowing who God is and claiming His presence in your life. His greatness makes all other things — especially the hard things — seem small. It allows you to pray with confidence and faith that you, through Him, will overcome. When He fills your heart with His presence, no burden can fill your heart with its weight. Learn the art of worship, and be blessed.

“To worship God is to realize the purpose for which God created us.” -Herbert M. Carson-