thoughts: worship - for the phillistines or for Him.
When i think about it, David and Saul weren't that different. Both were kings, both were chosen, both were talented (maybe David more so), both were considered attractive in their time, both were sinners, both were close to God (for David maybe more so than Saul again).
EP in Leap over a wall points out that perhaps what separated them was that Saul got caught up in the work (service) and forgot to worship. It's by no coincidence that the times he disobeyed God all had something to do with worship to Him. While David in 1 Kings 3, is said to have fought wars to protect his nation in order to build a temple, a place of worship. What separates them is a mere motive. One was interested in simply being used or even elected to be responsible, the other simply wanted time with Him (psa 55 -David at one point spent time with God in evening morning and noon perhaps a poetic style but perhaps a hint of truth in it) to worship Him.
RW in Purpose driven life states 5 purposes for which we are here on earth today. As i look through the 5, worship, community, service, mission and imitation it strikes me that we are here to serve God, but i think, as RW wrote, he chose to put purpose 1 as worship to emphasize that God truly desires us. He made us not just to be slaves (though we are called to be servants (NIV) countless times in the epistles in hebrew or greek i cant remember ~doulos = slaves), but worshippers, sons, lovers, friends of the Most High.
As i re examine my life i'm really scared. Saul let service take over him. He felt so secure in God's call for him to be king he let his guard down and forgot the true purpose of worship (for him, not for the people) elab - Saul sacrificed the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings because according to him 1 Sam 13:12 'now the phillistines will come down against me at Gilgal and i have not sought the Lord's favor so i felt COMPELLED to offer the burnt offering'
How many times have we felt COMPELLED to worship? to offer up something in our lives only to realise its because of the 'phillistines' the external factors that really, really is the reason we worship? Im guilty of that, leading up to A levels, O levels my guitar was my best friend, my bible the favourite textbook. 8-10 am my favourite time, yet after the season, where did that 'compelled' go? 'but now the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart' it's almost as if the bible hints... that the feeling of being compelled is not enough to be after God's own heart. being compelled because of service to God, is not enough.
That leads me to think whether i have worship in cell for service's sake, or becasue i desire to exalt, to honor to love, to have that time with Him. Or has MINISTRY, the work of the kingdom, slowly, gently been removed from worship (ministry is to be worship), so slowly we have let down our guard, the joys we have suddenly are simply FRUIT, the joys we have are simply the RESULTS, and no longer...
That time with Him?
EP in Leap over a wall points out that perhaps what separated them was that Saul got caught up in the work (service) and forgot to worship. It's by no coincidence that the times he disobeyed God all had something to do with worship to Him. While David in 1 Kings 3, is said to have fought wars to protect his nation in order to build a temple, a place of worship. What separates them is a mere motive. One was interested in simply being used or even elected to be responsible, the other simply wanted time with Him (psa 55 -David at one point spent time with God in evening morning and noon perhaps a poetic style but perhaps a hint of truth in it) to worship Him.
RW in Purpose driven life states 5 purposes for which we are here on earth today. As i look through the 5, worship, community, service, mission and imitation it strikes me that we are here to serve God, but i think, as RW wrote, he chose to put purpose 1 as worship to emphasize that God truly desires us. He made us not just to be slaves (though we are called to be servants (NIV) countless times in the epistles in hebrew or greek i cant remember ~doulos = slaves), but worshippers, sons, lovers, friends of the Most High.
As i re examine my life i'm really scared. Saul let service take over him. He felt so secure in God's call for him to be king he let his guard down and forgot the true purpose of worship (for him, not for the people) elab - Saul sacrificed the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings because according to him 1 Sam 13:12 'now the phillistines will come down against me at Gilgal and i have not sought the Lord's favor so i felt COMPELLED to offer the burnt offering'
How many times have we felt COMPELLED to worship? to offer up something in our lives only to realise its because of the 'phillistines' the external factors that really, really is the reason we worship? Im guilty of that, leading up to A levels, O levels my guitar was my best friend, my bible the favourite textbook. 8-10 am my favourite time, yet after the season, where did that 'compelled' go? 'but now the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart' it's almost as if the bible hints... that the feeling of being compelled is not enough to be after God's own heart. being compelled because of service to God, is not enough.
That leads me to think whether i have worship in cell for service's sake, or becasue i desire to exalt, to honor to love, to have that time with Him. Or has MINISTRY, the work of the kingdom, slowly, gently been removed from worship (ministry is to be worship), so slowly we have let down our guard, the joys we have suddenly are simply FRUIT, the joys we have are simply the RESULTS, and no longer...
That time with Him?