1) “Sisters, let us offer our Great God true worship; a heart humbled before Him and a life surrendered to Him.” Many of us, when we think of worship, mostly consider the music we sing at church. But a biblical examination of the idea of worship shows us that true worship is intended to permeate every part of our lives. We ought to have a posture of worship before God at all times, rejoicing, serving, and honoring Him even when we may not feel like it. This obedience is a sacrifice of praise to our great God. Samson chose to dishonor the call of God on his life. He broke every part of his holy vow, doing instead what he selfishly desired. If you have believed in the Lord Jesus, you have been called to holiness and righteous worship. How are you stewarding your call? In what areas (relationships, thought life, habits, attitudes) do you need to grow in holiness as you turn over sinful desires to be ruled by Christ? How is God prompting you to offer up your life as a “living sacrifice”? Write down two clear steps you can take today to move toward growth in your call to holy worship, and ask the Lord to strengthen you in your completion of those steps.

2) The prophet Daniel was upright and devout. He was so righteous that the only accusation his enemies could bring against him was that he worshiped his God above the earthy rulers. Daniel worshiped God when his very life was at stake. He did not know God would close the mouths of the lions around him, he simply honored God as he always had, and God honored him. I don’t know about you, but I have never been threatened with death for worshiping the Lord, yet I have been persuaded to become lax in my worship in exchange for far lesser loves. How are you worshiping the Lord today? How might you continue in steadfast worship to Him? What in your life has been holding you back from worship, and what steps do you need to take to eliminate those hindrances? Do you feel your worship is characterized by habit or whole-heart adoration? Perhaps you could consider paring down your commitments and social engagements, or waking up a bit earlier in the morning to give attention to true worship. It may look like setting up screen time restrictions on your phone or committing to worship God during parts of your day when you would otherwise seek entertainment. Ask God to show you how you can be faithful to worship Him with your whole life.

3) For the Christ-follower, worship is intended as an all-encompassing attitude and way of life. Our words, actions, and every breath should be offered in submission to the God of the universe. The prophet Ezekiel may be best know for the many visions he was given by God, but God also required him to do things before the people that would have been incredibly humiliating. Instead of arguing with God, Ezekiel submitted and did what was required of him. Consider what whole-hearted surrender and obedience to God might look like in your life. Is there an instruction in Scripture you know you ought to obey, but have been hesitant to follow because of how it might look like to people around you? Is there something the Lord has been laying on your heart to do, but you haven’t because of the discomfort or tension it might bring into your life? Are there “rights” you are holding onto that He is asking you to lay down in order to serve Him whole-heartedly? How can you display trust in God through worshiping Him? Seek His face and commit your way to holy obedience. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.