(38) The Heart of Worship is Teachable

(Note: This is part of a continuing series of posts on The Heart of Worship & Psalm 95)

Today, if you would hear His voice,

Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,

As in the day of Massah in the wilderness. . .

(Psalm 95:7-8)

In these phrases of Psalm 95, and those that follow, there is an important element of faith that we must pay attention to. We will see that in the next post, but first, we need to think about the fundamental issue of listening to the voice of God.

Today, if you would hear His voice,

Do not harden your hearts

Consider again the issue of reverence and submission. If you truly have a deep respect and reverence for someone, you will listen carefully to what they say. You will value their opinion. You will consider their counsel and most of the time it will profoundly influence if not determine your own thinking and actions.

How much more should this be true when we are speaking to the God of all knowledge and wisdom? If we truly reverence and respect Him for His infinite knowledge and wisdom, and recognize that His ways and plans are far better than ours, we will listen to Him and follow His counsel and direction. This is an aspect of worship.

The heart of genuine, Theo-centric worship will include listening to the voice of God, hearing what he has to say, letting his Word correct our thinking, attitudes and our actions. We must never become so convinced we are right and entrenched in our thinking that we are unwilling to scrutinize and assure we are in fact right.

It makes little sense to say I worship God, honor Him and reverence Him and then, I ignore or directly disregard and disobey Him. That’s not worshiping God.

Can you be quiet for a few moments? Listen carefully with your heart to the pleas of God to Israel and hear Him speak to you.

"I, the LORD, am your God, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. "But My people did not listen to My voice, And Israel did not obey Me. "So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, To walk in their own devices. "Oh that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways! "I would quickly subdue their enemies And turn My hand against their adversaries. "Those who hate the LORD would pretend obedience to Him, And their time of punishment would be forever. "But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, And with honey from the rock I would satisfy you." (Psalm 81:10-16 NAU)

My I make this passage very personal for you by sharing my heart response? Here’s what I hear God saying to me through this passage.

I am the God of all creation, the one and only, sovereign of the universe. I am your God. I delivered you from your bondage. You were a mess, running away from me. Ensnared by your own will. I delivered you. I have blessed you. I have blessed you so, so richly. You know. You are overwhelmed by it when you’re thinking clearly. But so many times you won’t listen to me. You say you reverence me. You talk about how wise I am but you so often trust in your own thinking and wisdom. You refuse to listen and obey me.

If that’s the way you want it, fine. But know this, when you go your own way, you’re heading down the path of your own harm. I wish you would listen to me. I know what’s best. I want only what is best for your life. Please listen to me. All the enemies you fight, your sinful thoughts, selfishness, unkindness, are my enemies too. Listen to me. I want to defeat those enemies. Listen to me. I’m speaking. Be quiet and listen. Truly reverence me. Listen to me. Follow me. Obey me.

“I am the Lord, your God . . . but my people would not listen.”

Will you listen?

Soli Deo Gloria


Next:  (39)  The Heart of Worship is Active Faith