“I will praise the name of God with a song;
I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
This will please the Lord more than an ox
or a bull with horns and hoofs.”
– Psalm 69:30-31
At a time when the “usual” means of worshiping God aren’t available or look very different, it’s helpful to remember that our heart of worship is far more important than our rituals of worship. God is pleased when we worship Him in Spirit and in truth wherever that occurs and however that looks.
God cares that we praise Him and give thanks for all of the blessings we enjoy, most particularly our salvation in, and union with, Jesus Christ, His Son. Our heart condition is far more important to the Lord than our ability to worship in the ways we’ve “always done it”.
This is both a comfort and a challenge. The comfort is obvious. Though we may feel a bit guilty or anxious about the changes we continue to endure as we worship and stressed about the decision each person must make about when is best to resume gathering for worship, we are comforted to know that our heart of worship is what pleases God.
However, the challenge is very real too, for this truth requires us to train and discipline our hearts to genuinely sing and praise the Lord even in these evil and unsettled times. Though we may be in shock, angry, or discouraged by all that we see happening around us, we can’t simply retreat into religious ritual – instead, we must consciously bring our heart to truly worship God, in public and in private, even amidst our tears, frustration, and anger.