Above Our Worship

It says in Nehemiah 9:2 those Israelites who had separated themselves from foreigners stood and read from the book of the law confessing their sins and those of their fathers. The opening lines of the prayer say, "Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise" (verse 5 NIV).

Above all blessing and praise? Isn't that we are to do on Sunday morning and throughout the week is to worship God? Worship Him above all our circumstances and cares?

Yes, we are to worship Him alone.

Sadly, even our worship can be just that...all about the worship experience with no true devotion to God. The very downfall of Israel was idolatry of foreign gods leading them into gross darkness and sin, even intermarriage with those who were to be dispossessed from the Promised Land.

Instead, Israel become possessed by the spirit of unfaithfulness until they were taken out of the land.

True worship flows from a sincere heart. A heart that is open to the Holy Ghost that refuses to pretend or hide something from Him. When we worship we acknowledge God's sovereign power to act as He so desires independent of our wills. Even in Abraham's idolatrous generation, it says God found Abraham's heart faithful so He made a covenant with him (verse 7-8). God's will was revealed to Abraham that he would be a father of nations and the land he walked on would be for his seed to possess.

Abraham understood something of the character of God Almighty who possessed heaven and earth. In turn, Abraham's heart was possessed by a love of God shown through his obedience.

Can the Lord find our heart faithful? It's just not who we worship that is important, but how we worship. Are we giving God lip service while our minds are bowed down to lustful thoughts? Do we sing a hymn on Sunday morning only to be angry with our spouse just hours after the service?

Beloved, God is always above our worship. To the measure of our obedience is how God truly is exalted above all things in our lives.