The Higher PlaceSample

Worship Him in a higher place

We can’t separate worship from the lives of believers. The psalmist invites all of us, His chosen people, to worship God because He is the Lord whose love endures forever (Psalm 100). More than that, Paul reminds us in Romans 12:1, that the true meaning of worship is to present this body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. After we know the essence and importance of worship, then the next thing we need to pay attention to is the best place to worship God, which is on higher ground, on His holy mountain.

There are some heart attitudes we must practice in our worship of God while we are on the journey to a higher place. The first is humility. Worship (Hebrew: Shahcah) means bowing our bodies and heads to the ground. This is done because we recognize an authority that is superior to us. The humility of a servant also enables him to offer his life to God as a living, holy and acceptable offering. The second is love. Lord Jesus said that the foremost commandment is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). From this verse, we also know that the main basis of our worship is our love for God alone. The third foundation of our worship is faith. Just as Abraham ascended to Mount Moriah to offer up Isaac, it takes steadfast faith for us to continue on our ascent to bring our worship to the mountain of God. We must believe that God exists (Hebrews 11:6) and hears our prayers (1 John 5:14-15).

We need to take our worship to a higher place because that is the place where we can have a stronger presence of God and experience Him more in our lives. On our ascent journey, let us ask the Holy Spirit to train us to act in humility, love, and faith so that our worship becomes a fragrant incense that is pleasing to the Lord.

Reflection:

- How can you increase your humility, love, and faith in God?

- How can you offer your life to God as Romans 12:1 says?