An Invitation to Worship

By Gabi Bemis

“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear his voice, ‘Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested me; they tried me, though they had seen what I did. For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.” So I declared on oath in my anger, “They shall never enter my rest.”’”—Psalm 95:1–11 (NIV)

Have you ever seen your favorite sports team in person? It’s fun to experience a packed stadium filled with screaming fans who passionately love the team. For many people, the financial, emotional, physical, and even existential investment in their favorite team or artist can be considered worship.

Call to Worship
Tim Keller defines worship as “an act of ascribing ultimate value to something in a way that engages your entire being: mind, will, and emotions.” Worship involves all that we are because we ultimately worship what we value most. The psalmist invites us to worship the One true God. Words like "come," "sing," "shout," and "extol" urge us to actively engage in worship. Like going to see our favorite artist, we sing, dance, raise our hands, and shout for joy to express the excitement and devotion in our hearts. How much more is God worthy of our physical, emotional, and intellectual expressions of love and devotion?

Why We Worship
The psalmist then explains why we worship God: He’s the great God and King above all gods. The psalmist urges us to restore the value we've placed on lesser things back to God. He does this by naming God's attributes: He is our Maker, Creator, the One to whom the earth belongs and, ultimately, the One to whom we belong. Why should we worship God? Because we are His. You and I were made for God, and until we live as such, nothing else in our lives will make sense.

How We Worship
The psalmist concludes with a sobering warning, recalling the Israelites in the wilderness. First, remembering the children of Israel reminds us that worship is a communal endeavor. The psalm is written in the plural, using words like "we," "us," and "our." Knowing God and growing in our relationship with Him happens in community with other believers. We cannot live and grow in our faith alone, we need other believers to help us in our walk.

Second, we worship by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Israelites’ hearts were hardened, but God promised to replace their hearts of stone with hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26–27). It’s only through the Holy Spirit renewing our hearts that we can be awakened to God's love and presence and worship Him for who He is.

Finally, we worship from a place of rest. Just as God promised the Israelites rest in the Promised Land, Jesus has secured our eternal rest. We can worship God freely because we’ve been redeemed and made right with Him through Jesus (Romans 5:1). We’re no longer under condemnation, but stand confidently as sons and daughters.

So, the invitation stands to join other believers with an open heart to sing and shout the truth of who God is: our Maker and King. He’s our greatest treasure—the God who defeated our enemies and secured our salvation through the death and resurrection of His Son because of His great love for us. Now that’s something to shout about!

Pause: What’s your attitude toward worship? How do you think a hardened or a softened heart may affect your worship?

Practice: Write down the attributes of God listed in this psalm. When faced with challenges today, refer to these attributes and see how focusing on God reframes your situation or emotions.

Pray: Lord, You alone are worthy of my worship. I lift my heart and soul to You, for only You can satisfy me. You are my Maker and my King, and I surrender my heart to You today. Holy Spirit, take me deeper in my relationship with You, and help me experience God's presence in new ways. I long for more of You, Jesus. Help me to see You for who You are. In Your name I pray. Amen!