This past week I was sitting around and thinking about our worship service last Sunday. I thought about how great the choir sounded when they were singing the anthem. I thought about how good Betsy and Matthew played during the offertory. I thought about how well the congregation sounded when they were praising the Lord. I thought about how good God is and how He loves us enough to send His Son to die for our sins, give us eternal life, and allow us to enter His presence and worship Him.

As I was thinking about all that went on during worship, a smile began to stretch across my face. The church is joyously worshiping the Lord and it is so exiting to be a part of it. But it also made me think about all that God has provided for us. When I went home after worship, I turned on the news. Maybe that was not the best idea, but the contrast could not have more stark.

The world is filled with chaos and uncertainty. From the new war in Libya, to rising gas prices, to the earthquake in Japan, there seems to be much unrest in the world. As I watched all those unsettling things pass across the screen, I realized that I was not in a state of unrest. My heart was filled with God’s peace. I was in a state of rest. I realized that my present state of mind was a result of being with the body of Christ worshiping the Lord of Glory.

As I pondered the contrast, I was reminded of the vision God has given us about heaven. In the book of Revelation we are told about all the people who are before the throne worshiping the Lord (Rev 7:9-12). Then I realized that this vision is given in the midst of one of the most grueling books of the Bible. All through the book we see a fallen world under the spiritual influence of the evil one waging war against God. Yet despite the unrest of the world’s affairs, God’s people are safely placed before the throne of the Lamb. While the world rages, God’s people worship.

Worship is a great gift from our Father. It is a promise of things to come. It is also a reminder that God is our refuge and fortress. He knows His own and is able to deliver His children. And oh how He has delivered us! Jesus died so we may be free from the bondage of the world, sin, and death. He rose from the dead so we may have eternal life with the Lord. He ascended to the right hand of the Father so we may be filled with God’s grace, mercy, and love. He rules over the heavens so we may enter His presence in worship and find rest for our souls.

God loves us more that we can ever imagine!