By Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name; let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually. Remember his marvelous works that he hath done, his wonders and the judgements of his mouth (I Chronicles 16:9-12).
Singing is a major component of worship. Sadly, music style is often a controversial topic in the modern church. This ought not to be the case.
After all, we are singing songs that God has given to us. Psalm 40:3 says, “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.” Not only has He given us a song to sing- we get the honor of singing His song to Him. When we approach worship this way, others can be drawn to God through our worship.
Glory is a component of worship. We deserve no glory; we give all glory to Him. The Psalmist wrote it this way: “Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship him in the beauty of holiness” (Psalm 29:2). Anything that we have and anything that gets done is all because of God. “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
Seeking is a component of worship we cannot ignore. How are we to ever draw closer to the Lord if we don’t seek after Him. Time is of the essence according to Isaiah 55:6:” Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.” Ephesians 6:10 says, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” Seeking Him in prayer and through hearing His Word strengthens us so we can do His will in our lives.
Finally, remembrance is a component of worship we often pay little attention to. We need to remember what the Lord has done for us and what He provides for us. Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection are the reasons we worship. He brought us out of our sins. He helps us overcome our doubts, fears and flaws. We can’t do this Christian walk without Him. Psalm 103:2 says “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” Certainly, we cannot afford to forget.
In the final analysis we need to make our worship real. We truly worship when it is no longer about us- it is about Him.
Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.
Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter — Breanna.
Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.
by leaps and bounds 