Reasons to Worship God

Scripture

Have you given any consideration to why you worship God?

What reasons would you share with others for worshiping God?

Do the reasons vary depending on whom you are sharing with? If so, why?

Or perhaps you came across this post because you have never worshiped God and are curious why others do.

The primary definition of the word worship is to honor or show reverence to a divine being or supernatural power.

Here, I am writing about the God of the ancient Israelites whom Christians also worship today.

I believe the most accurate source to learn the reasons to worship God comes from God himself in the Bible.

Today, we will explore the reasons God himself provided to the ancient Israelites for worshiping Him in Deuteronomy 11:1-20.

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Remember Not to Forget | Deuteronomy 8:1-20

Remember Not to Forget the Lord

Do you know the name of the flowers in the picture above?

Yep, Forget-Me-Nots.

I found some interesting German lore stories on farmersalmanc.com. These stories about knights, maidens, and forget-me-nots are both sweet and bitter.

Farmersalmanc.com also stated that these flowers are prolific bloomers between May and October in my region. Traditionally, these flowers symbolize true love, respect, fidelity, and faithfulness based on those German lore stories mentioned above.

But forget-me-not flower lore and symbolism aside, today we will consider the value of remembering not to forget the LORD as we study Deuteronomy 8:1-20.

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Are You an Early Riser?

Some of us rise early, even if it does not come naturally to us.

But for others, rising early is something they cherish. Why?

I can think of many reasons someone might cherish the wee hours of the day.

  1. It affords a quiet time of meditation before the demands of the day begin.
  2. An opportunity to enjoy the sunrise or other aspects of nature.
  3. A preferred time to exercise one’s body.
  4. Time to work on a personal hobby or even a second job.
  5. I’m sure there are other reasons too.

But none of these reasons explain why some rose early to go visit a tomb as shared in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

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Responding to Who God Says He Is

Moses’ life was not ordinary.

First, against the Egyptian Pharoah’s edict, his mother hid Moses for three months after his birth. (Exodus 1:22-2:2)

Then Pharoah’s daughter ends up adopting Moses and raising him with the help of Moses’ mother. (Exodus 2:3-10)

After Moses becomes an adult, he murders an Egyptian for beating an Israelite and attempts to hide his actions. (Exodus 2:11-12)

Yet the Lord called Moses to be His spokesperson to reveal Himself to the Israelites and all the other nations around the world. (Exodus 3:1-22)

After much back and forth in this private encounter with the Lord, Moses asks the Lord to send someone else. (Exodus 4:13)

But over time, Moses’ response to God changed.

The question is, why did Moses’ response change?

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Does God Meet with You?

I think we are tempted to think more about our responsibility in meeting with God rather than God wanting to meet with us.

Why?

We gravitate to things we can touch or see more often than spiritual realities.

Plus, making it about our actions means we can check off that box on our to-do list and feel we’ve accomplished something tangible.

I also think we often miss when God is present with us.

Why?

We don’t have the obvious sign of a pillar of cloud showing God’s presence like the Israelites did back in Exodus.

But God wants to meet with us.

How can Exodus 33:7-11 and supporting verses help us grasp this today?

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How Teachable Are You?

Merriam-Webster.com defines teachable as apt and willing to learn.

If you were to make a list of everything you enjoyed learning from childhood to the present day, what would you include?

What would you list as things you didn’t enjoy learning?

Which list is longer for you?

Did you include things outside of formal school subjects?

In Matthew 11:25 and Luke 10:21, Jesus thanks the Lord of heaven and earth for hiding things from the wise and understanding while revealing them to little children.

What does this have to do with being teachable?

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Fueling the Worship Response

fuel

What is your first thought when you think about fuel?

Gasoline or electricity is a typical fuel that enables vehicles to get us from point to point.

Wood is an excellent fuel for a campfire.

Physically, we use food as fuel to nourish and sustain our bodies.

But there are other fuels to consider.

For example, Exodus 12:27 ends with the phrase, “And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.”

What fueled this worship response?

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He Stops All People | Job 37:5-8

downpour

Discussing the weather is generally considered a safe subject.

But severe weather is another matter entirely.

Severe weather requires both humans and wildlife to seek protective shelter.

Sometimes severe weather takes us by surprise, giving us little time to find protection.

At other times, we can prepare a refuge ahead of the severe weather.

What is the purpose of severe weather, according to Job 37:5-8?

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Job 1:1-5 |Thus Job Did Continually

thebookofjob

Recently my daily Bible reading practice brought me to the book of Job.

This Old Testament book deals with suffering.

We all experience suffering. Some more than others.

What is striking in this book is the steadfastness of Job’s faith in God throughout his immense suffering.

How could Job refrain from turning away from God in the face of significant loss? Even as friends and family, encouraged him to curse God or confess a sin he had not committed?

The opening verses are key in answering this question.

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Mark 1:35-39 | Why We Need Devotion

devotional

Each month, I meet with a small group of friends to discuss a chapter or more of a Christian-authored book.

We have read and discussed a variety of non-fiction and fiction Christian-authored books since meeting as a group.

Currently, we are working our way through Nancy Leigh DeMoss’ book, A Place of Quiet Rest: Finding Intimacy with God Through a Daily Devotional Life.

A scripture passage that is referenced more than once in DeMoss’ book is Mark 1:35.

But before we consider Mark 1:35 in its context, we need to define devotion.

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