let my soul live and praise you, and let your rules help me. [psalm 119:175]
what will you worship today?
on sunday, around 100,000 people will pack into sofi stadium in los angeles, california to watch super bowl lvi (56). in addition, experts predict over 23 million people will bet over 6 billion dollars on this game. as the bengals line up to face the rams, one thing is for sure – there are millions of people who will have a vested interest in this game. at some point, screaming and yelling and cheering and shouts will pour forth from fans and betters! there will be a massive amount of humanity worshiping this sunday – the will be pouring out their heart and soul.
that we were made for worship is easy to see. we will worship. we will give ourselves to something. we will pour out our heart and soul to something – to a job, to a spouse, to a family, to a team, to a belief, to a philosophy, … to something.
o LORD, forgive us for giving our heart and soul to anything and everything but you alone. turn our heart and soul to worship you alone! (it is not wrong to love your wife, or kids. probably not good to love your team more than your wife. but it is wrong to worship your wife – to give your heart and soul to her because you believe she can give you all your soul needs. it is wrong because she cannot give this to your soul and it is wrong because she is not God.)
how will you worship today?
“let my soul live and praise you,”
- the Lord calls us to worship him with our whole self. (heart, soul, mind, strength – matt 22:37)
- the Lord calls us to worship him in Spirit and truth. (john 4:24)
- the Lord calls us to worship him in such a way that his name being great in us and thru us is the longing of our heart. (is 26:8)
- the Lord calls us to worship him alone – there are to be no other things competing with worship of him. nothing. (ex 20:3-4)
- the Lord calls us to worship him because he alone is worthy of worship. (rev 4:11)
all of these passages and more remind us and call us to worship because we were created as beings of worship. they remind us and call us to worship with all our heart and soul. and, they remind us and call us to worship the Lord alone, for he is worthy alone.
today – we will worship. let us worship the Lord alone.
today – as we worship the Lord, let us give ourselves to the one who gave his whole self for us. for he alone is worthy!
~ john ryan