Regarding God With Total Esteem And Complete Admiration
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!.
1 peter 1:3
The “worshiper” attends faithfully every Sunday, concentrating intently on the object of his worship. All week he has prepared for this day, his thoughts turning frequently to the object of his adoration. When he leaves hours later, his gratitude is profound. His team won, 14-10.
Football fans often reflect a truer attitude of worship than the average Christian. A. W. Tozer diagnoses this problem and suggests a helpful remedy.
WALK WITH A. W. TOZER
“The quality of our worship is enhanced as we move away from the thought of what God has done for us, and move nearer the thought of the excellence of his holy nature.
“This leads us to admire God. The dictionary defines admire as ‘to regard with wondering esteem, accompanied by pleasure and delight; to look at or upon with an elevated feeling of pleasure.’
“According to this definition, God has few admirers among Christians today. Many are simply grateful for his goodness in providing salvation, or answering their prayer in troublesome situations. But the simple truth is that worship is still in infancy until it begins to take on the quality of admiration.
“Just as long as the worshiper is engrossed with himself and his own concerns, he is a babe. We begin to grow up when our worship passes from thanksgiving to admiration.”
WALK CLOSER TO GOD
One quality that binds a fan to his favorite team is his admiration for the players’ abilities. To consider the attributes of God should cause no less wonder.
He is good. Just. Merciful. Loving. Omniscient. Omnipotent. Majestic. Infinite. Perfect.
Before your next visit to a house of worship, stop to recall who made it all possible. Then “ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name” (1 Chronicles 16:29).