Good morning. It is a blessed day of worship and praise, let us lift glad hearts of joy to the Lord as we honor Him this day!
Are you ready to worship? Perhaps another important question could be, “are you worthy of worship?” After all, when we worship our Father God, we come to Him, and He joins us. In worship, we become one with God in Spirit and in Truth. But are we worthy of His presence?
This was the question when God takes issue with the worship of the Israelites in Isaiah chapter 1. In verse 11 God says that he has no need of their sacrifices. In verse 13 He tells them that their offerings are meaningless and that their incense, which was supposed to represent the sweet aroma of worthy prayer rising before the throne of God, was detestable to Him. He had no interest in what they had made their special worship occasions to be. He says that rather than a joy, “They have become a burden to me.” Isaiah 1:14 In fact, says the Lord,
When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I hide my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
I am not listening. Isaiah 1:15
What is needed, God tells His people, is that they “become clean” to enter His presence. But how can that happen? How can people so stained in sin and lost in sinful behaviors become righteous and pure so that they can come into the presence of God without fear and worship Him with Joy?
“Come now, let us settle the matter,”
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool. Isaiah 1:18
Once again, it is all about Jesus. It is Jesus who makes us worthy. It is Jesus who makes us clean. Though our sins are like scarlet, they are washed in the blood of the Lamb.
Worship the Lord today in Joy and in confidence, for you are worthy of His presence. You are worthy of His embrace. You are worthy of God, as long as you are washed by the blood of the Lamb.