God never forgets. . .

“God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5).

God wants total worship, not going through the motions in body without any spiritual life, not an inner spiritual worship without outward expression through the body. Charnock says that “a morally discomposed body intimates a tainted heart.” That is, if our outward expression of worship is skewed, this indicates something is wrong in the heart.

Sometimes I feel like throwing my hands in the air but no one else is doing it. Sometimes I want to pray in a public place and don’t. Sometimes I want to tell someone about God and am afraid of their response. I am too self-conscious to lift my hands, or pray out loud, or fervently express my love for God. This says something about my inner focus. It is not where it should be.

Or am I bold to the point of being the center of attention? Do I take on a form of worship that puts everyone’s eyes on me during a worship service? Do I like heads turning toward me when I pray or talk about God? Again, outward actions, even in the name of worship, can reveal a self-centered heart.

God’s intended function for my spirit reveals more. My spirit is where I know conviction of sin, have the ability to connect and commune with God, have the capacity for biblical faith. What does it say about my spiritual condition if I never own up to my sins, seldom pray, and worry all the time? These are just as much acts of worship as praise and music. When I avoid morning devotions (afraid of what God will say to me?), put off talking to God (too time-consuming?) and am fretting about life, my heart is not right. Maybe there is unconfessed sin, an attitude of pride, an atheistic temperament that lives ordinary days as if there is no God and calling on Him only when I can’t do it alone.

Ignoring God is the opposite of worship. In these difficult days, He is calling me to worship Him through remembering that He is still in charge, still cares, still hears prayer. He always responds to faith, and even when I avoid or forget Him — He still forgives and remembers me.