Psalms 16
¹ A Miktam of David. Preserve me, O God, for in thee I take refuge. ² I say to the LORD, "Thou art my Lord; I have no good apart from thee." ³ As for the saints in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight. ⁴ Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their libations of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips. ⁵ The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; thou holdest my lot. ⁶ The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. ⁷ I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. ⁸ I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. ⁹ Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure. ¹⁰ For thou dost not give me up to Sheol, or let thy godly one see the Pit. ¹¹ Thou dost show me the path of life; in thy presence there is fulness of joy, in thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.

We were made for worship. Worship is of key importance to our lives. We are blessed when we worship. We worship in many ways. When we live our lives by loving our neighbor as our ourselves, we are worshiping. One can worship in song or in dance. There is a special kind of worship though when we come into the presence of God himself. It is a cause for reverence, bowing or falling down and showing God our heart.

Worship is the place that God promises to "meet with us", because worship is something that is done on the inside, i.e. in our spirit. John 4:23-24 tells us in Jesus's words: "..the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth." Worshiping the Lord, then, means coming into His presence, adoring, praising and loving Him int he same nature as He - in the spirit.

Many of us have been taught that we have a responsibility to worship. But, so often when asking a believer what true worship means or how its done, many look like a deer caught in the headlights.

WHOM DO WE WORSHIP?

Worship springs from gratitude. A believer can worship the Lord with all one's heart, soul, mind and strength because one has invited God into heir lives. Non-believers cannot worship in this way. Jesus said in John 3:5-6:

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."

Until one has confessed a belief in Jesus as the Messiah and come to the realization that one is lost without Him, repented and been baptized in water and of the Spirit, only then can one truly worship. Though God does need our worship, he is seeking those who wish to come to Him.

WHAT MAKES "WORSHIP" SO IMPORTANT?

Worship is important because it is the reason Christ came to earth. The entire book of Revelation concerns the importance of worship. Look at Revelation 4:8-11:

"The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things and for Thy pleasure they are and were created."

Other pertinent Scriptures are Revelation 11:16 and 19:4, and there are many other Scriptures in the Word that tell us God is seeking true worshipers. Scriptures like Psalm 95:6-7: "Oh, come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand..." And Psalm 99:5, "Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at His footstool; for He is holy."

If one does grasp worship now, heaven would be a boring place for those who fail to connect with God. Worship is critical because it's the key to God's presence. It's what brings us intimacy with the Father. In other words, worship is a two-way communication. We come into His presence by loving, adoring and exalting Him. He then makes Himself known by communicating His Love and His inspiration (and revelation) back to us. This, of course, results in inexpressible joy for us.

This daily communion is what allows us to endure difficult circumstances. If we are hearing from the Lord and keeping our eyes only on Him, we can withstand anything. Worship, then, is not only the key to intimacy, it's also the key to withstanding trials and problems and restoring the joy of our salvation.