Hugs……What is a hug? Isn’t it just squeezing? It’s done with the arms…Wikipedia says it’s a demonstration of affection, a form of physical intimacy.
The word ‘hug’ just came to me this morning. Isn’t worship like a hug? It is a physical expression. Love without expression…can it even exist? When we see our children and grandchildren, can we help but express our affection? Our hearts feel as if they will explode if we can’t somehow communicate this fullness inside us.
God’s love for us is expressed by our very existence on this planet, expressed by everything in our reality, given to us as a gift of love, prepared even before He created us. He even went to the great length of stepping off of heaven’s throne and into this created realm, knowing death in our stead, in the Person of Jesus Christ.
I can hug a pillow. But there is no expressing of anything deep within me in doing so. I can hug a person and it be meaningless. No…the motion of the arms doesn’t make it a hug..it’s the communication and warmth of heart that makes it a hug. My grand-daughter sometimes hugs like that…just to appease me but she’s really too busy to be bothered about it…she’ll squeeze with her arms really quick, and off she goes. The hug I want is the one I didn’t ask or beg for…the one freely given, the one she enjoyed as much as I did.
So too, worship is not a physical activity. It is not something that can be touched or even observed.. It happens within my attitude, my spirit, my ‘heart’. It is more than human emotion, or even the surrender of my personal will. There is a relationship…a reaching out from my heart to the heart of God, and a response!! A response of God’s spirit within me…to the Spirit of Himself…‘Deep calling to deep..”(Ps. 42:7) It NEEDS to be expressed. It yearns to be received by The One Whom we hug.
Abba, Father…Daddy !! ‘ Because you are sons (and daughters), God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit Who calls out ‘Abba, Father.’ (Galatians 4:6 personalized by me).
His Spirit ‘testifies with our spirit..’(Romans 8:16)
The purpose of worship is not to somehow ingratiate myself….not only can that not be done, it is not necessary. God loved me when I was yet a sinner…(Romans 5:8) I can’t provide a service to God …He ‘needs not to be worshipped with men’s hands as though He needs any thing’ (Acts17:25)
I need not attempt to pay my own debt , which is the curse of death, the death I deserve because of the imperfect condition I find myself in. My expressions of devotion do not change my condition. He does. How I praise Him this morning for the depths of His love, and that He allows me these small A-HA!! moments with Him.……
He is so very good.
