Heavenly Worship

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."
—Revelation 4:8b,11

Lately, I have been struck by the differences between earthly worship and heavenly worship. For those of us who live on this side of the vale, we have to stir ourselves up in worship. We coax our hearts out to worship by reciting what God has done or is doing for us. This was true all throughout the psalms, and it is true for us today. "He set my feet upon a rock." "He forgives all my sin and heals all my diseases."

Those, however, who sit in the very presence of God, who witness, and perhaps understand, the fullness of the Trinity, worship God primarily for who He is. The only time I have found heavenly worship focusing on an action is concerning the cross. "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain." Rather, in heavenly worship I see words like Holy, and Worthy. In Heaven God is worshipped because He is "other," He is "set apart." God is worshipped because His worth is above any other.

We who live on earth, and who must settle for fleeting glimpses of the Glory of God, still need the reminders of God’s mighty acts. And to worship Him for His actions is right and appropriate. But I think it may be a good thing to start practicing for Heaven.

Homework this week: Meditate on the words Holy and Worthy.

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