Making Worship Count

Making Worship Count

Of all the responsibilities that accompany New Testament Christianity, worshiping God in spirit and in truth can be one of our more challenging endeavors (John 4:23-24). If we are honest with ourselves we will admit that we sometimes struggle to worship God the way we should. Just because your body is in the pew does not mean you are worshiping in spirit and in truth. We can be present at the assembly, but be spiritually absent. Our unwillingness to admit that it takes a tremendous amount of concentration on our part when it comes to worshiping God can be our downfall.

In Exodus 34 Moses comes to Mount Sinai the second time to receive the renewed tables of stone that contain the Word of God. Moses had previously broken the tables of stone when he came down from Mount Sinai because he observed the people worshiping the golden calf. What the Lord tells Moses in Exodus 34 can help us make it count when we worship God.

The first thing Moses did in Exodus 34:1-4 is that he prepared himself to be the presence of God. Moses got up early in the morning with great anticipation to worship God. In Exodus 34:5-7, as Moses stood in the presence of God, God proclaimed His own greatness, goodness and graciousness. In verses 8-10 when Moses considered who God was, he made haste and bowed down in obeisance to God.

To worship God acceptably takes a tremendous amount of concentration on our part. It is a skill that we have to put some effort into, and we do not want to just go through the motions. We want our worship to be meaningful to God because God is seeking true worship. Moses’ encounter with God shows us the wonder of worship. Next time you worship make it count.

-Clay Bond