Thought for the week

Worshipping God is something we talk a lot about in Christian circles. I've just back from a meeting with some other youth workers and we spent some time worshipping God. But what is worship?

Think: What words come to mind when you think of the word worship?

Worship is about giving glory to God, pouring out our thankfulness for what He has done for us. That's why people sing, dance, shout, are silent or do any other manner of things.

Why do people worship God?

Some of things you might have come up with might have included, because he created the world, me. Because he listens to me and helps me.

Read Habbakuk 3:17-18

Worshipping God is so often links to how we feel, if we feel good then we sing or pray to Him. In this passage we find the story of a person who has been left with nothing yet they still praise God. This is a very difficult thing to do but when you realise that the hope that we have because of Jesus isn't linked to how much we have materially or physically but is about a relationship with the creator of the universe.

An amazing story that I once read is about a lady called Fanny Crosby in the book 'The Unquenchable Worshipper' by Matt Redman.

She says, "When I was about six weeks old I was taken sick and my eyes grew very weak and those who had charge of me poulticed my eyes. Their lack of knowledge and skill destroyed my sight forever. As I grew older they told me I should never see the faces of my friends, the flowers of the field, the blue of the skies, or the golden beauty of the stars."

This lady had a relationship with God and realised that her blindness would only be with her for her short on earth.

When Fanny was only 8 years old she wrote this song:

O what a happy soul am I!
Although I cannot see,
I am resolved that in this world,
Contented I will be.

How many blessings I enjoy,
That other people don't.
To weep and sigh because i'm blind,
I cannot, and I won't.

She went to write over 8000 hymns of praise. One day she was asked, do you wish you had never been blinded? She replied 'Well the good thing about being blind is that the very first face i'll see will be the face of Jesus.'

Do: Write down 10 things that you are thankful to God for.