The pages of the Bible are certainly covered with many texts referring to the worshiping of God. In the Old Testament 394 times and in the New Testament 102 times. Why?
Why does the God that reveals Himself as the Creator of heaven and earth, Creator of the most distant galaxies, billions of galaxies, the Creator of the tiniest atoms, electrons, protons, quarks and everything in between, need mere humans, not more than a speck on a speck, on the tiny earth in the vast universe to worship Him? This God, greater than what our minds can ever grasp, the God without beginning, without end, without cause, outside the limitations of time and space is, astoundingly, the God interested in personal relational love and that with humans! This great God desires an intimate, personal and dynamic relationship with each of us. He loves each of us as if we are the only one in the entire universe.
Are humans then indeed the center of the universe, of creation, if there is a God that loves us so much? Atheist say we are just arrogant to think that we are the center of the universe. But, if we could move out from ourselves, away from earth, further and further away we would find ourselves in outer space that consists merely of floating bodies, how grandiose and wonderful that might be, yet still just floating bodies in space. And if we could move in the opposite direction into our organs, cells, proteins, atoms, electrons, protons, quarks we will again find ourselves within bodies floating in space.
But in the middle of these two extremes of relatively uncomplicated floating bodies in space is the human brain, the most complex structure in all of the universe, the only structure that can comprehend the God Creator. Humans created in the image of God with the ability to love, to appreciate love, to communicate on high level, to appreciate the wonders of creations and adore the great, great God creator of all.
But more so, God created us for love; to be loved by Him, to love Him, to live the love He put within us and love others. God is love. The Bible teaches us that the Trinity always existed; if there was no Trinity, who did God love before He created humans? Would He then not have been dependent on mere humans to have someone to love. No! The Trinity has always been in a perfect love relationship within itself and does not need humans but in His grace, He created us to love and be loved – created with consciousness and a free will to choose! Without a free will to choose love, love is simply not possible, a contradiction in itself. To reject His love is a choice and the foundation of sin, of evil.
So why does He want us to worship Him, to adore Him? Two
reasons; firstly, He is a personal and loving God and wants us to worship and
adore Him. What can be greater in a relationship than if the man feels that the
love of his life thinks so much of him that she just adores him, ‘worships’
him. And if he feels the same about her, thinks she is the most beautiful
person on earth with the most beautiful heart, just adores her. If they live
this out, how will it strengthen their love. And the more the adoration grow,
the more the love will grow. God wants us to adore Him, just look at His
creation! He wants us to worship Him. And our love and experience of Him and
His love for us and a awareness of His presence will grow to levels we never
knew possible. Tim Keller on Hosea – if someone you love dearly, turns against
you, you will know the agony of rejected love. And you will understand some of
God’s agony, though His love is infinite and therefore His agony is infinite
for people who rejects Him. Secondly, to adore someone, to worship someone,
also put you in a vulnerable place, a serving position. Has God not done this
for us in His love by becoming a man, a servant to us and died for us! The
ultimate example of love and adoration.
Richard Dawkins, well known atheist, states in his book ‘The God Delusion’ “The
God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character …. a megalomaniacal
…. bully.”
(The definition of a megalomaniac; a condition or mental illness that causes
people to think that they have great or unlimited power or importance)
So sad that the atheists who hate the God they believe does not exist have such
a skewed idea of God’s character by interpreting only small sections of the
Bible and demonstrate minimal, if any, knowledge of the Bible as a whole, of
who God really is.
Psalm 148
1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens!
Praise Him from the skies! …
5 Let every created thing give praise to the Lord, …..
11 kings of the earth and all people,
rulers and judges of the earth,
12 young men and young women,
old men and children.
13 Let them all praise the name of the Lord.
For His name is very great;
His glory towers over the earth and heaven! ….
