Oh Come Let Us Adore Him!

Tuesday’s here and so are we, therefore, we have this 19th day of August 2008 to give God praise. I recently heard a sermon while driving down the road where the speaker talked about the closest you and I will ever be to God is when we are totally immersed in giving Him our heartfelt praise and adoration. The beloved Christmas carol we sing says, “Oh come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!” The concept of seeking provision from God implies that we recognize Him as Provider. The giving of thanks indicates our appreciation for all that God gives to us. We can even get to praise as we contemplate His worthiness of our praise. But when it comes to adoration that flows from a heart that loves God and wants to express that love, well, that’s a different matter entirely.

The definition of the word adoration indicates how it reflects an act of worship or profound regard or love. This need to express adoration comes as we grow in our understanding of God and His person. It goes beyond a mere recognition of His power and might. It is personal, originating from the heart, and expressed in a number of different ways. Loving God first in all things is a really tough challenge because we are prone to define God, not in the way He has revealed Himself to us, but in ways that fits Him into our mode of thought. It’s good to always remember that He is not made in our image, it is the other way round.

Expressing love for God can be done with words, in a song, reading Scripture, listening to teaching, or in a quiet reflection centered on Him and His Person. Whatever comes forth must be from the heart or it’s not true adoration! For me personally I have found that praying back to God the praise songs found in Psalms 145–150 to be very helpful in focusing my attention on Him, His Person, His Greatness, and His right to be adored. Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that people would one day respond to God with worship that was accepted because it would be rendered in spirit and in truth. He also told her that God desires this and is in fact seeking those who would do this very thing. (see John Chapter 4)

The question for us all deals with whether we can get past our checklist of needs to the point where we spend time doing nothing more than adoring our Great God. When Jesus provided a model for prayer to His followers He told them to address the Father by saying hallowed be your name. That word in the Greek has the meaning of responding by rendering our acknowledgement of His Person. He does deserve our praise, our worship, and our love. He deserves it whether or not we give it to Him. What a difference it can mean to each of us whenever we move from the “now I lay me down to sleep” concept of God to one where we genuinely express from our hearts: “O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!” Amen. ……..More later.