Déjà vu

According to the dictionary worship is “the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity”. Then what is reverence? – “deep respect for someone or something”. Okay, let’s summarize. To worship is ‘to express deep respect or adoration for a deity’. Reading scripture, we learn that there is no being worthy of worship but the Almighty God (Exodus 20:3-6; Psalms 99:5; Matthew 4:10; John 9:31; Revelation 22:9). With this understanding how does one worship? According to scripture worship is expressed by obedience to commandments (1 Kings 9:6; 2 Kings 17:13-17; 2 Chronicles 7:17-22). Therefore, the commandments of the one we choose to obey is the one we worship.

God in all His omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent complexity, as He relates to man is very simple and straightforward. God, in all His creative majesty, chooses to create beings and bless them with life. In recognition of God's position in the universe and in gratitude for the gift He has blessed His creatures with, God demands our worship (Ecclesiastes 12:13,14). However, for this worship to be perfect it must be given freely. Therefore, when God creates any living, sentient being He gives them the free will to choose whether to worship Him or not. In order to determine loyalty God therefore presents His creation with a test.

For the first beings of our race this test came in the form of a fruit. This test in its simplicity was profound (Genesis 2:17). In all respects this test was easy. Hundreds and thousands of fruit options from which to choose. One to avoid. Worship God and eat the others or worship self and eat the one. The first of humanity was duly warned of the consequences of self-worship – disloyalty to God would sever them from their Source of life resulting in death. Loyalty to God would cement their attachment to their Source of life resulting in everlasting life. As we are all painfully aware our first parents chose disloyalty and ate the fruit, thereby plunging us into the condition in which we find ourselves.

However, God in His infinite mercy chose to pay the debt we owed for disloyalty. As a result, we now have a second chance at the same test - will we be loyal to God or disloyal. Will we acknowledge Him as the Creator of all things and Lord of the universe? The test this time is also elegantly simple, worship God on the day He asks or on another (Revelation 14:6, 7). Some see it as so simple that the world's fate could not possibly rest on so basic a choice. Why would an infinite God care about something so small like a day or a fruit? However, what we need to understand is that God is not in need of our grand gestures. He does not require our good deeds. He is able to accomplish, without us, all the good deeds we prioritize over His actual requirements. He created it all and can do with it all as He pleases, when He pleases and how He pleases (Psalms 50:12). The one task He has placed in our hands is to choose whether to be loyal to Him or to self.

Will you worship Him on His day or worship yourself on your own chosen day (Exodus 20:8-11) in the manner He requires (Isaiah 58:13)? Will you receive the rest He gives from your weekly labour or will you seek to find your own way (Genesis 2:1-3)? Will you keep the day God blessed and sanctified, holy or will you attempt to make another day holy (Daniel 7:25)?

This is the choice with which we are now faced. Will you make the simple choice and be loyal to your Creator, the Omnipotent God, though the heavens fall?

Be Blessed