What is worship? Is it the act of being at church? If someone were to ask you about your worship experience how would you respond? “Well, I sang a couple of hymns, put some money in the plate and heard the preacher.”

That would qualify as attendance, but does it qualify as worship? Attendance does matter (Heb 10:24-25); but worship is so much more.

Speaking to the issue of attendance without worship God says, “I wish one of you would shut the temple doors, so you would no longer kindle a useless fire on My altar!” (Malachi 1:10).

We need to remind ourselves that we have an audience when we worship. God is watching and rejoices in our worship. Speaking about the relationship between God and His people when they worship, the bible says, “But you are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel” (Psalm 22:3). When we worship, God inhabits our praises and is given the rightful place of honor in our presence.

The great privilege that Christians have is to worship the living God. When it comes to worship, God desires heartfelt substance over style. God does not want us to simply go through the motions. And of course, it stands to reason; He went through an awful lot of trouble for us to be able to worship Him.

We can worship today because Jesus died on the cross to make it so. Without His death and resurrection we would never be able to enter God’s presence. However, because Jesus made the way open for us, the bible tells us that we can approach the throne of grace with boldness! (Heb 4:16).

So what is worship? It is the act of seeking God in spirit and truth while ascribing to Him the immeasurable value of His person. (John 4:23-24; Psalm 145:3).

If you study the verses in John you will notice that what is at issue in worship is the condition of the heart; and God wants – no jealously demands and deserves – 100 percent of it.

Is your heart prepared to worship the living God?

The bible says that “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). I have always found this to be an interesting verse, especially in light of the fact it seems to be a definition of faith. Faith, we are told, is the assurance and conviction of things not seen!

I don’t know about you, but I generally like to see where I am going. I don’t walk in the dark very well. In fact, I have a bad track record in that area. At this point I have lost count of the number of times I have gotten up in the middle of the night to use the rest room only to slam my toe on either the bed frame, corner of the wall, or the bathroom door. I know my children have woken up in the middle of the night believing that they are experiencing a nightmare only to discover that the madman howling like a lunatic is their pitiful dad who just broke his toe for the umpteenth time!

No, I really like the light, and so do my toes. The ironic thing is that Scripture teaches us that when we walk by faith we are in fact walking in the light, and when we choose to walk by sight (versus faith) then we are actually walking in the dark.

I remember when JFK Jr., was killed in a plane crash. Apparently he flew into bad weather. As a result he could not see the horizon and became disoriented. It was speculated that he crashed because he thought he was going up when in fact he was going down. Experienced pilots said that he was trying to fly by sight, but had he used his instrument panel to navigate then he would have most likely survived the storm.

The bible tells us that we are to “walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7). Walking by faith is like using the instrument panel on an airplane. Though a pilot may not be able to see past his windows for the clouds and rain, his instrument panel will always give him a clear picture of where he is and where he needs to go. In that regard it can be said that the pilot has an assurance and conviction about his situation.

When we live our life seeking to be guided only by what we can physically see, then we are not unlike JFK Jr., who was flying in a storm. As he was flying in the dark, so we are then living in the dark. Faith leads us to look to the instruments and tools God has given us so we can see clearly and navigate successfully.

With eyes of faith we are able to see the vital gauges of God’s manifold promises, warnings, and directives. The psalmist said “Oh, that my ways were directed to keep your statutes! (Psalm 119:5). God does seek to direct our ways. He desires to be our compass in life and to lead us through the storms so we may find rest and peace (Psalm 23, Prov 3:5-6). It is for that reason that the psalmist said, “Your word have I hidden in my heart…”

The instrument panel for daily living is the bible. When we learn it, believe it, and begin to live it, we will discover a whole new level of vision that brings clarity, assurance and conviction in the direction God is taking us.

Speaking to the church Peter encouraged them, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:2-3).

There is a form of dairy product that I am quite fond of, it’s called ice-cream. My love for ice-cream began a long time ago. Once I had that first taste, and tasted that it was good, I never looked back. Peter is essentially saying the same thing about God. He tells us to “desire the sincere milk of the word.” That desire comes about when we have “tasted that the Lord is good.” When we taste His goodness we want more.

Many people have no desire for the Word of God. I suspect it’s because they have never really tasted the goodness of God. It’s addicting – the goodness of God. Once you have had a taste you want to keep going back for more. And unlike ice-cream, there are no adverse health effects, nor will you see a sizeable change in your waist line, if you seek to indulge in the goodness of God.

When someone desires something they essentially have a craving. I remember when my wife was pregnant; she would have cravings for certain foods at the most bizarre times. And much to my dismay she would never crave ice cream; but the craving was something that had to be satisfied ASAP!

Peter tells us that we are to crave the Word of God much as an infant craves his milk. Have you ever seen a hungry infant? They are inconsolable until their appetite is assuaged. When my son was a baby he would wake up at two in the morning – every morning – and scream until he got his bottle. That little bundle of joy could not be consoled until that bottle was firmly ensconced under his little lips.

As soon as he was sucking down that little baby elixir he would sigh a deep sigh of relief – whew finally some satisfaction! And that’s how Peter says the children of God are to desire the “sincere milk of the word.” My son wanted his milk because he was hungry. Those hunger pains are healthy signs of a growing boy. Peter says we are to desire the milk of the word so “we may grow thereby.”

Do you have hunger pains for God’s Word? If my son never had hunger pains and had no interest in eating I would conclude he was sick and take him to the doctor. If you never crave the “sincere mild of the word” perhaps you need a physician – a spiritual one. Without hunger there can be no growth; and perhaps it is an indication that there is no spiritual life.

Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). He is the great physician of our souls. If you don’t have those badly needed hunger pains, Jesus invites you to come, taste and see that the Lord is good! You’ll never look back once you do.