“O Lord, our Lord how excellent is Thy Name in all the earth.” (Psalm 8:1a)
In true worship, there is total focus on the object of worship…no distractions. We worship Him because He is worthy. He is worthy because He is holy. He is worthy because He is righteous. In the presence of our holy, righteous, omnipotent, omniscient God, there can be no distractions. He has always declared himself to be a jealous God. It is unthinkable that He could tolerate competition from all of the petty things that are on our minds, even when we enter His sanctuary. We must stand before Him stripped of everything that hinders total immersion in the worship experience. This is a major challenge; we are so easily distracted even in prayer.
In the third chapter of Acts, we see Peter and John on their way to worship. As they come near the temple, they see a lame man who has never walked, slumped on the ground. The lame man goes into his usual approach as he sees Peter and John and asks for money.
Peter’s response is simple, “Look on us” (Acts 3:4 KJV). Look on us, not because of ourselves, but if you look, you will see Someone in us. My brothers and my sisters, if you want to encourage someone to come to Christ, you may be the first step that person takes in the right direction. You are the one who may speed or impede his/her progress toward salvation. If they look at you, what will others see? Peter and John could say, “we have been baptized with the Holy Spirit. We have spent three years with the Christ, the Son of God. We have seen things and heard things beyond our wildest dreams. Look on us, and you will enter into an experience far beyond anything anyone can give you. Gold and silver? We’ve got power. Money? We’ve got blessings that money can’t buy. Look on us because we are sure of what and of Whom we speak.”
Sometimes I wonder why some don’t come to church. Some blame it on the pandemic, then others look on some folks who go to church every Sunday. Then they come out and raise as much hell as the folk outside the church. The outsider says, “Why should I go there?’ My brothers and my sisters, you have a great responsibility. If you claim to speak for Christ, if you claim to represent Christ, you had better be sure He is in you, and that the “carnal” you are hidden from view so that others may see Christ in you.
If that happens, then the Power comes down and wondrous things are possible. Peter said, “In the Name of Jesus Christ…rise up and walk.” The man not only got up and walked, but he lept and praised God. Don’t look for credit for what you do. Give God the praise if you accomplish anything. Give God the glory for any success you might have, and others will be richly blessed. O Look! Look! Look! See the wonderful Savior who is using me, with all of my faults, to help others and to help bring about His Kingdom.
Dear Father in Heaven, we praise Your Holy and Righteous Name. Bless us with Your Holy Spirit, we pray, and keep us ever in Your Care.
