TRUE WORSHIP BEGINS IN OUR HEARTS!

READ PSALM 50

Psalm 50:3

Our God comes; he does not keep silence;

before him is a devouring fire,

around him a mighty tempest. 

The God of heaven has a right to judge, and He will. The writer reminds us that the Lord will judge empty worship. He has never been pleased with men who practice empty ritualism, with hearts that are far from Him. We should continually be checking our hearts.

The psalmist reminds the readers of this with God’s own words of rebuke for their rebellion:

Psalm 50:16-18

16 But to the wicked God says:

“What right have you to recite my statutes

or take my covenant on your lips?

17 For you hate discipline,

and you cast my words behind you.

18 If you see a thief, you are pleased with him,

and you keep company with adulterers. 

The children of Israel went through their prescribed rituals many times, but had set aside the words of God. They rebelled against the discipline of the Lord and communed with God’s enemies.

Psalm 50:19-21

19 “You give your mouth free rein for evil,

and your tongue frames deceit.

20 You sit and speak against your brother;

you slander your own mother's son.

21 These things you have done, and I have been silent;

you thought that I was one like yourself.

But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you. 

Their mouth spoke evil and they assumed that God’s silence implied His approval.

Psalm 50:22-23

22 “Mark this, then, you who forget God,

lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!

23 The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;

to one who orders his way rightly

I will show the salvation of God!” 

What is the solution to a rebellious heart? A change of ways! The one who sets his life in order and is grateful to God. Those are the ones whom God approves, the ones whom God saves.

We are not very different from the children of Israel: we, too, go through our practices of worship with our hearts far from God. We, too, go through seasons of rebellion and think that God’s silence in some way lessens the gravity of our rebellion.

God’s standards are not to be overlooked! We should be alarmed by our seasons of rebellion. If we go through times of disdain for God’s teaching and do not feel the heavy hand of God on our lives, then we should question our relationship with God. God is not indifferent to our sin and is not looking for people that merely give Him lip service. Oh, we can deceive man, but we can never deceive God!

One of the greatest warning signs to us is a lack of gratitude. Our dissatisfaction exposes our hearts. Those who know God should be grateful for His presence and sovereignty in their lives. True worship will always be accompanied by true gratitude.

Discontent not only exposes our rebellion, but it is the easy path to sin. Dissatisfaction, bitterness, anger, ungratefulness never produce godliness, but they always produce more sin.

Have you checked your heart, even better, have you asked to someone close to you if your words and attitudes show gratitude to God, or complaint?

If you are like me, you have all kinds of excuses for your attitude. We blame it on others, on circumstances, on our health, even on the weather. We tend to not take personal responsibility.

The wonderful thing is that we can confess our sin, ask God for help, change our ways, and return to godly worship. God demands our worship, He deserves our worship, but He looks at our heart and desires our heart to be devoted and submitted to Him.

May our praise be sincere and apparent today! We have every reason to be grateful for the privilege to call God our Father. We are His children forever! Jesus has changed our lives and His Spirit continually works in us! TRUE PRAISE BEGINS IN OUR HEARTS!