Thursday, September 07, 2006

WORSHIPPING THE WAYS OF GOD - PART 1

If we truly intend to be worshippers of God, then a day must come in our lives when we realise that merely knowing Him as our Father and ourselves as His children is totally inadequate. We need to know God as God and ourselves as His bond servants. Until this revelation breaks upon us, we will not be able to experience the reality of worshipping Him in truth. Such a revelation of God will cause us to fall down before Him and it will lead us to acknowledge that His ways are higher than our ways; and we are but His subject called to accomplish His will.

WHAT ARE GOD'S WAYS?


His ways are His method of doing what He decided to do. And in relation to us they are His dealings with us whereby He accomplishes His purpose concerning us. His ways are higher than our ways and they leave no room for our choice. He deals with one person in this manner and with another person in that manner. Many Christians are often perplex with God's ways and His dealings; they usually ask: Why? For example when we read in the Bible the story of Jacob and Esau, our natural reaction would ask: "Why did God love Jacob and not Esau?" Jacob was a deceiver, yet God says, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hate." (Malachi 1:2-3)

To question why God loved Jacob and not Esau proves that we have not seen God as God. Those who have seen His sovereign right will simply acknowledge that God is God and He does what He does because He is Who He is. God's ways are the expression of His choice and the manifestation of His desire. What He has determined to do He does in the way that will secure His end. Hence His providential dealings with men vary according to the purpose He has for each life.

WHAT DOES IT MEANS TO WORSHIP THE WAYS OF GOD?

In order that we may learn this truth, let us consider a few of the Old Testament saints who, as true worshippers, learned to worship Him and His ways:

PART 1 - WORSHPPING GOD FOR A PROSPEROUS WAY

The first example is found in Genesis chapter 24. This is a story of Eliezer, Abraham's servant, who was given the responsibility to find a wife for His master's son, Issac. Abraham was then living in Canaan and to reach Mesopotamia involved crossing two rivers and a stretch of desert in between. It was a difficult task for Eliezer to travel to a distance strange land and to persuade a young woman to accept this offer of marriage.

But Eliezer was looking to God. He prayed, "O Lord, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See I am standing beside this spring, and the daughter of the town people are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says,'Drink, and I will water your camels too' - let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master." (Genesis 24:12-14)

Abraham's servant had not even finish praying when Rebekah arrived at the well, and in detail all his requests were transpired (imagine the time taken and amount of water needed to feed ten camels). But what if the girl was not of Abraham's family? So Eliezer asked about her connections. As soon as he was assured that Rebekah was a relative of Abraham, he "Bowed his head and worshippied the Lord." (Genesis 24:26)

Do you see the ways of God? if you request Him to do certain thing and begin to trust Him, and then things fall out as you asked, you will adore Him for His ways with you. What does it means to worship the ways of God? It is to render all glory to Him. When you are faced with some difficulty and He carried you through, do you just rejoice in the prosperity of your way? It was not with Eliezer, He did not even stop to talk to Rebekah, he straightaway worshipped. He did not feel embarrassed but instantly bowed his head and blessed the Lord.

There is a connection between glory and worship. To bring glory to the lord is to worship Him and it is our bowing before Him that is true worship. The proud in heart cannot worship Him because they will find it difficult to bow to Him. When their way is prosperous they attribute it to their own ability or to chance; they do not give glory to the Lord. To be a true worshipper is to offer without reservation all the thanksgiving, praise and worship to Him for everything we meet. At every turn Abraham's servant did so. When he went with Rebekah to her home and explained his mission and found Laban and Bethuel willing to let Rebekah go at once, again his instantaneous and spontaneous reaction was to adore the ways of God. "He bowed himself down to the ground before the Lord." (Genesis 24:52)

As worshippers, we must not only learn to recognise His works, but we must learn to acknowledge the way He works. Apart from from worshipping Him for Who He is, we must learn to worship the ways of His working in our lives. If our hearts are set to be worshippers of God, He will give us more and more opportunity to worship Him. God will orders all our affairs so that we may brin Him the worship that He desires. At times He will make our way so prosperous that we have to acknowledge it is He alone Who did it, and all the glory goes to Him.

Remarks - look out for the Part 2 - Worshipping God For His Ceaseless Care

Extract From Twelve Baskets Full Volume 2 - Watchman Nee
Copyright (c) TPWC

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