True worship can be summarized as acknowledging God’s holiness and greatness to gain understanding and learn instruction. It begins with repentance of sin and trusts in the Holy Spirit for strength. Personal impact: Waits on Him in prayer and meditates on God’s word to heal wounds. Corporate impact: Praises God to defeat evil in the world. Internal impact: relies on the truth of God’s word to deliver you from strongholds. External impact: explains God’s truth fluently and clearly to satisfy spiritual hunger and thirst. True worship lifestyle: Seeks God desperately until the Holy Spirit works peace, confidence and freedom.
False Worship Summarized
God set up siege works against Ariel where David settled causing them to mourn. Their enemies became like fine dust. The Lord Almighty came with thunder, earthquake and devouring fire so those nations waging war against Mt. Zion became faint with unquenched thirst. The Lord brought deep sleep to the prophets’ eyes and His vision was sealed in a scroll so no one could read it. The Lord said His people came near and honored Him with their lips but their hearts were far away. Their worship consisted of rules taught by men. The wisdom of the wise would perish and intelligence of the intelligent vanish (Is. 29:1-14). False worship consists of following man’s rules without heart behind them.
True Worship Summarized
Woe to those who hid their plans from God and worked in darkness thinking no one saw them. Should what is formed say to his creator that he did not make him or the pot to the potter, “He knows nothing?” The deaf heard the words of the scroll and eyes of the blind saw. The humble and needy rejoiced in the Lord. The ruthless vanished and mockers disappeared. God cut down those with an eye for evil whose false testimony deprived the innocent of justice. The Lord said Jacob would no longer be ashamed, but acknowledged His holiness and stood in awe of the God of Israel. Those with wayward spirit gained understanding and complainers learned instruction (Is. 29:15-24). True worship acknowledges God’s holiness and greatness to gain understanding and learn instruction.
True Worship Initiation
Woe to those who carried out plans and formed alliances without His Spirit. They went to Egypt without consulting God. Looking to Pharaoh for protection brought shame and disgrace instead of help and advantage. Write on a tablet about these rebellious and deceitful children unwilling to listen to the Lord’s instruction. They said to the seers and prophets that they wanted no more righteous visions where they were confronted with the Holy One, but pleasant words and illusions. The sin of relying on oppression and depending on deceit became like a high wall that collapsed instantly. In repentance and rest was salvation, in quietness and trust was strength, but instead of being willing, they left on horses with little threat to them (Is. 30:1-17). True worship repents of sin for salvation and trusts in the Holy Spirit for strength.
True Worship Personal Impact
The Lord longed to be gracious and compassionate. Blessed were those who wait for Him. God showed grace and answered when they cried for help. He revealed the way to walk during adversity and affliction so they did not trust in the idols of materialism. He sent rain to sow the seed in the ground that yielded plentiful food. The Lord bound up their bruises and healed their wounds (Is. 30:18-26). True worship waits on Him in prayer and meditates on God’s word for the healing of wounds.
True Worship Corporate Impact
His wrath shook the nations and placed a bit to lead them astray. Their hearts sang and rejoiced on the mountain of the Lord. Men heard God’s majestic voice to the music of tambourines and harps that shattered Assyria with His scepter and punishing rod (Is. 30:27–33). True worship praises God as the chief weapon of spiritual warfare to defeat evil.
True Worship Internal Impact
Woe to those who went to Egypt for help, relied on horses and trusted in many chariots instead of seeking help from God. The Lord Almighty shielded, delivered and rescued Jerusalem while defeating evildoers. God called Israel to return to Him and reject idols their hands made. The sword of God’s word devoured Assyria, placed young men in forced labor, broke their stronghold and caused commanders to panic (Is. 31:1-9). True worship relies on the truth of God’s word for deliverance from evil strongholds and slavery to sin.
True Worship External Impact
A king reigned in righteousness and rulers ruled with justice like a shelter from the wind, refuge from the storm and streams of water in the desert. The blind saw, the deaf heard, the rash discerned the truth and the stammering tongue was fluent and clear. The fool was not called noble nor the scoundrel highly respected since the fool spoke nonsense, practiced ungodliness and spread error concerning the Lord so the hungry left unsatisfied and withheld water from the thirsty. The scoundrel made evil schemes and destroyed the poor with lies even when the needy spoke truth. The noble man made noble plans and stood by them (Is. 32:1-8). True worship explains God’s truth fluently and clearly to satisfy spiritual hunger and thirst.
True Worship Lifestyle
Complacent women trembled in a little more than one year when the fruit harvest failed. They mourned for the fruitful until the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the land of God’s people overgrown with thorns and the city of revelry with the abandoned fortress and deserted city became fertile. The fruit and effect of righteousness would be peace, quietness and confidence forever so His people could live securely in places of rest. Even as the city was leveled completely, how blessed to sow seed by every stream letting animals range freely (Is. 32:9-20). True worship seeks God desperately until the Holy Spirit works peace, confidence and freedom.
Begin to seek God desperately until the Holy Spirit works peace, confidence and freedom in your life.
