Worship music played on the car radio and I sang along just before turning the volume down to pray. I started with, “Thank you for this day,”–the way I often do–however today was different. As I glanced skyward, I tried to imagine the eyes of God looking back at me. But instead of seeing the adoring eyes of my Father receiving my worship and responding with an expression of pleasure, I saw the fiery eyes of holiness staring back at me, completely unimpressed. I nearly had to pull over.
My heart was immediately overwhelmed with sorrow as I realized, what I was doing was anything but “worship.” Instead of offering God everything I had, I carelessly entered into the fulfillment of a duty. I knew I hadn’t taken the time I should have that morning to pray properly, but I was praying. However, like Cain’s offering in Genesis, the Lord was repulsed by the lack of value that my offering contained. I was just squeezing Him into my routine instead of building my routine around Him…and I know better. The sloppiness seemed to sneak in so subtly. I didn’t even realize what I had done until He was so good to have shown me.
See, it’s not that I can’t pray while I’m driving. The Bible clearly tells us to pray without ceasing, so casual prayers throughout the day are good and acceptable. I realize I don’t have to be all “into the zone” every time I speak to God. But the problem on this particular morning was that this casual prayer was all the time I had carved out to spend with Him that day and He knew it. If I had spent my time in the morning to give Him proper worship, to read His Word, to listen to His Spirit speak to my heart…I believe He would not have been offended by this more casual approach. But I skipped my “real time” with Him and thought this quick moment would suffice because, let’s face it, He and I are both so busy.
So when my eyes looked to the sky and saw the Lord as I SHOULD have been seeing Him in my worship, I just stopped. Tears began to form in my eyes as I lingered there for a moment. Then God began to speak to my heart, “If you could look up and really see me as I am, how would you worship me differently?”
The question struck a deep nerve. I knew exactly what I would do. I stop everything else I was doing, fall on my face in reverential fear and awe, and burst into tears! As I looked into the eyes of the most holy God, I would know that what I was offering was worse than filthy rags. I would know that my words were futile and my actions too small. I don’t believe I would be able to speak anything beyond the initial cries of the seraphim in Revelation, “Holy, holy, holy…”
It’s a good thing it was morning, because it was time to wake-up! God is closer than a brother, but He’s not your little buddy. He’s not your pet, waiting for you to pat Him on the head. He’s not the casual acquaintance who is appeased with an indifferent wave of your hand as you pass by. He is your Creator, Redeemer, Provider, Protector, but He’s most definitely NOT your magic genie. He is GOD. He is holy, righteous, just, omnipotent, omnipresent, and so much more. He is the King of Kings and He requires more than our half-hearted attention. The Bible says to love the Lord our God with ALL our heart, ALL our minds, and ALL of our strength. God doesn’t want a little piece of us, He wants ALL of us. He’s not interested in our cheap offerings. He wants our first fruits…the best of the best, the choicest cut, the sacrifice. He doesn’t just want these things, He commands them.
The Western church has sold us on so many easy Christian-living ideas that this life really costs us nothing anymore, and I don’t think for even one moment that God is satisfied with it. Let’s do what we can today to honor God the way we should honor a GOD…THE GOD. Let’s offer him our prime time. Let’s give him full access to do what He wants to do through us, even when it’s uncomfortable. Let’s spend time, lingering in His presence, doing more listening than talking. Let’s hit our aching knees and cry out to Him, shouting of His goodness and glorifying Him with our praise. Let’s honor Him in our conversations, at our dinner tables, and in the way we treat others in public and in private. Let’s be obedient and mindful and do our best to never take His love for granted.
God is good. He is kind. He is love. But never, ever forget…He is holy.
220 Gal 