S197P8 – The fruit of his holy presence: a demand for worship
Psa. 100:1-3
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
There is a way that God’s presence moves the hearts of those who love him. When I acknowledge the presence of God and make a concerted effort to remain in it, my mind is focused on what I can bring him in that moment. When I stand in God’s presence, I do not desire to bring him filthy rags and disobedience. I want to give him what He is due, which is the worship that his holiness demands. He not only wants it, but He deserves it. He is worthy of much greater adoration and devotion than we will ever have to give. It should be not only an expectation but a desire of ours to bow in worship to God when we are in his presence. It is a privilege that He would accept what little we can give in honor of how great He is.
The interesting thing is that God’s presence does not demand worship only from those who love and serve him. God’s presence demands worship, period. He is so worthy of this that the rocks themselves would cry out if we did not. In fact, there will come a day when the presence of the Lord will cause every knee to bow and every tongue to confess who He is. Even those whose desire it is to defy and hate him will be compelled to make that confession and honor him with their lips and tongues. For those who love him, this is not something that must be forced. The presence of God should move and stir us to want to give him what He merits. Our being compelled to worship God when we stand before him is the result of our desire to love and please him.
The presence of God is indeed demanding, and we cannot ignore that fact. He is worthy of our right response when we stand before him. For those of us who love the Father, we should desire to please him while we have his audience. The joy that we experience in his presence is only one reason for us to cry out in worship and gratitude. Coming face-to-face with his majesty and his holiness and his perfection are only a handful of the infinite number of reasons why we should be compelled to worship God while in his presence. Even for those who think they have reason upon reason not to worship God, He deserves every ounce of their praise, and they will bow in worship one day. Father, make us a people who live to seek your presence and worship you willingly in that sacred space.