Readings for today: Ezekiel 45:13-46:24, 1 Peter 1:13-2:10, Psalms 119:33-48, Proverbs 28:11
God designed human life to be an act of worship. From the moment we’re born until the day we die, we are hardwired to worship. Sadly, because human nature is thoroughly corrupted by sin, we will worship just about anything other than God. We’ll worship celebrity. Wealth. Health. Beauty. Success. Sex. Power. You name it, we’ll turn it into an object of worship. We’ll bring our sacrifices. We’ll sing our praises. We’ll sacrifice time and money and energy and attention to appease these false gods. But they are insatiable. They are ravenous. They demand more than we can give, leaving us feeling empty and anxious and alone. They are brutal tyrants, ruthlessly and relentlessly driving us to despair and even death.
Friends, God created us to worship Him and enjoy Him forever. To live in unbroken, unending relationship with Him. This is why God pays such particular attention to the reconstruction of the Temple in Ezekiel. It’s why He sets up times and seasons for worship. "Thus says the Lord God: The gate of the inner court that faces east shall be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened, and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened…When the people of the land come before the Lord at the appointed feasts,” (Ezekiel 46:1, 9) It’s why He cares so much about the sacrifices. He is setting up a way of life that will directly counteract the effects of sin. He is creating a holy rhythm that will lead us continually back to Him. Follow this way and you will find spiritual renewal. Be faithful in this way and you will find true peace. Walk in this way and your hope will be restored as you get in touch with the reason why you were made in the first place.
I love how Peter describes God’s vision for His people. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9-10) I don’t know about you but I don’t naturally think of myself in these terms. I don’t naturally think of my church family in these terms. I don’t naturally think of my brothers and sisters in Christ in the global church in these terms. Sin keeps all the focus on me. My wants. My desires. And when I let sin reign, I lose sight of who I truly am. Worship draws me back to my true self. It places God in the center of my life. Reminds me who I am and who I belong to and the price that was paid to secure my salvation. Worship floods my heart with gratitude and thanksgiving and praise for all God has done. Worship continually shapes and molds me into the image of Christ as I engage this holy rhythm over the course of a lifetime.
So here are some questions to ponder. Does your life revolve around worship of the Living God? How are you aligning your life with the holy rhythm God set up for His people? Do you spend time worshipping God each day? Do you gather with God’s people for worship each week? Do you actively participate in the annual festivals like Christmas and Easter each year? Do you see these things are peripheral to your life or central? Are they easily sacrificed in favor of other opportunities or are they non-negotiable aspects to the life you are actively seeking to create for yourself and those you love?
Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 47-48, 1 Peter 2:11-3:7, Psalms 119:49-64, Proverbs 28:12-13