A Consistent State of Mind

"I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth" (Psalm 34:1)

Worship must always come from an inward attitude. It embodies a number of factors, including the mental, spiritual and emotional. You may not at times worship with the same degree of wonder and love that you do at other times, but the attitude and the state of mind are consistent if you are worshiping the Lord.

A husband and father may not appear to love and cherish his family with the same intensity when he is discouraged, when he is tired from long hours in business or when events have made him feel depressed.

He may not outwardly show as much love toward his family, but it is there, nonetheless, for it is not a feeling only. It is as attitude and a state of mind. It is a sustained act, subject to varying degrees of intensity and perfection.

Whether I feel like it or not, whether I see Your hand in my circumstances or not, whatever enters my life today, "I will bless the Lord at all times" (Psalm 34:1).Amen

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The Essence of Worship

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" (Matthew 22:37)

In worship several elements may be distinguished, among them love, admiration, wonder and adoration. Though they may not be experienced in that order, a little thought will reveal those elements as being present wherever true worship is found.

Both the Old and the New Testaments teach that the essence of true worship is the love of God. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" (Matthew 22:37). Our Lord declared this to be the sum of the Law and the Prophets.

It is quite impossible to worship God without loving Him. Scripture and reason agree to declare this. And God is never satisfied with anything less than all: "all thy heart ... all thy soul ... all thy mind." This may not at first be possible, but deeper experience with God will prepare us for it, and the inward operations of the Holy Spirit will enable us after a while to offer Him such a poured-out fullness of love.

Lord, weed out of my life any conflicting interests, that I might indeed love You with all my heart, soul and mind. Amen

~A. W. Tozer~