Repentance
A Neglected Part of Our Worship
For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight. . .
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:3-4;10
This will be the first in a series of devotionals dealing with the various "positions" or attitudes that the true worshiper must take in order for our worship to God to be effective. The first position we'll deal with is repentance. When we come before God in worship, one of the things we sometimes forget to do is repent. In our reference scripture David is confessing and acknowledging before God his sin of adultery, and that of having the husband of his partner in adultery killed. Not only is David acknowledging what he's done, but he says, "my sin is ever before me." David knew what he had done and he wasn't blaming anyone else for it.
When we come before God in worship (not "coming to church", but "worship"; the two are very different) we must see to it that we bring a clean heart before Him. The Psalmist said only those who have "clean hands and a pure heart" may stand in his holy place (Psalm 24:3-4). Just about anybody can praise God, but not everyone can worship Him. Worship is another matter entirely because it requires total surrender on our part. It requires total focus on God and His worth, majesty, and power. Worship requires a totally connected heart. Worship requires an attachment to God, not just an attraction to Him. Churches are filled every Sunday with people who are attracted to Jesus, but never become attached to Him through salvation and various available means of spiritual growth. The true worshiper not only understands what it means to worship God in spirit and in truth, but also understands that we cannot come to God any kind of way. True worship of God requires from us a pure heart, and an humble spirit. When we come before a holy God in worship, He is not interested in our accomplishments, our status in the community, or how much money we put in the offering plate. He wants to know we are coming clean before Him, confessing our sins and choosing to live life His way. God just wants us to get real with Him.
Of all the things we lay before God in worship, let us remember to make repentance one of them.
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This is the debut album by EXW friend Paul Langford. Paul is a Chicago based singer, arranger, keyboardist, producer and conductor. Paul has a career that spans 14 years. Paul's work includes arranging for groups like GLAD, Voices of Liberty, VoiceTrek, The Chicago based "Caroling Party" and Day of Discovery Singers. His arranging has appeared on recordings side by side with greats like Gene Puerling and David Maddux, and he has sung with Don Shelton, Bonnie Herman and Bob Bowker, among others.