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The Response of Adoration

by Skip Heitzig |
If you as a believer had to live your life all over again, what would you do differently? Would you pray less? Would you obey God less? Would you help people less? I have yet to meet somebody on their deathbed who has ever said anything close to that.

Here's my challenge to you: plan now how you're going to spend the rest of your life—what your response to God is going to be. Because every person responds to God in some manner: some ignore Him, some abhor Him, and others adore Him. Let me give you four appropriate responses out of Psalm 100 that every follower of God, every person who adores Him, should have: worship, serve, love, and thank.

First, worship the Lord joyfully: "Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!... Come before His presence with singing" (vv. 1-2). I discovered no less than eighteen times in Scripture where we are told to make a shout or noise of joy unto the Lord. In ancient times, it was customary that if the king came into the presence of his subjects, they would let out a shout of victory. It was their way of saying, "Our king is strong, and we are victorious because of him." Now, whenever the subject of worship is brought up, people tend to make excuses, like "I'm not a good singer." Listen, the voice you have is the voice God has given you, and it's an adequate enough instrument to make a joyful noise unto Him. When God is in your midst, if He is real to you, you will engage Him on some level of worship.

Second, serve Him gladly: "Serve the Lord with gladness" (v. 2). Singing joyfully is great, but God wants more than fans; He wants followers. We should respond to God on some level of emotion, but we should also respond with the motion of obeying what He says—serving Him. Spiritual maturity isn't measured by glorious singing as much as by glad serving. God loves a life that is lived cheerfully for Him.

A third appropriate response to God is to love Him intelligently: "Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture" (v. 3). The word know means to perceive something with understanding. Your mind matters to God (just read Matthew 22:37; Romans 12:2; Hosea 4:6; and 2 Peter 3:18), and in relating to Him, there are certain things He wants you to know: His lordship, His craftsmanship, and His ownership, for example, as we can see in Psalm 100.

The fourth response to the Lord we should have, especially during this season, is to thank Him consistently: "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations" (vv. 4-5). Notice the psalmist gave us three reasons to thank the Lord: He's good, He's merciful, and He's honest. Whether you've had a good week or not, you can thank Him for His consistent character.

So, if you had to live your life all over again, what would you do differently? And what are you going to start doing differently now? I encourage you to engage in all four of these things: to worship the Lord joyfully, gladly serve Him and His people, engage your mind and learn of Him, and then consistently say, "Thank You, Lord, for Your mercies and Your goodness"—especially as we go into this holiday season. There's no better time to start than now!

In His strong love,

Skip Heitzig

The Daily God Book: Through the Bible in 365 Days

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