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Articles
Worshiping God with a Heart of Thankfulness
Worshiping God with a Heart of Thankfulness
“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isa. 6:5).
There is something about being in the presence of God that should make us aware of our own unworthiness. Do you remember when Jesus called his first disciples by the Sea of Galilee? Peter sees the great catch of fish so great that their nets begin to break and two boats begin to sink. He falls down at Jesus’ feet and says, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Luke 5:6-8). And of course we remember the words of the tax collector in Jesus’ parable—“God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13).
Isaiah comes to this same realization when he sees the vision of a holy God sitting on his throne. “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts” (Isa. 6:5). The prophet recognizes that his guilt is genuine and so is that of the people.
Worship ought to be an occasion for introspection, and a time of self-examination. In fact, when we remember that we are in the presence of a holy God, when we really see God as he is by faith, how can we help but see more clearly our own unworthiness to be in his presence?
Such self-examination is part of the value of meeting with God. Worshiping God reminds us of our dependence upon him. It helps us more keenly to feel our need for his strength. It brings us to him who alone can lift us up to higher ground.
The broken spirit and contrite heart are marks of the believing soul. “Woe is me, for I am lost” says the prophet.
Isaiah's confession and contrition were met with God's gracious provision of mercy. As God promised the prophet in another place, “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isa. 57:15). So, in the great throne scene of Isaiah 6, an angelic being touches the prophet’s mouth with a burning coal and says, “your guilt is taken away, and your sin is atoned for” (Isa. 6:7).
Surely, this reminds us of what God has done for us through Christ, and that “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).
Worshiping God should remind us of our need for his mercy. But we also are reminded that he is a God of amazing grace. And knowing that God is a God of grace, we can approach him with a thankful heart. We are thankful for his mercy. We are thankful for every manifestation of his goodness. We are thankful that he has loved us even while we are sinners.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's…Bless the Lord, O my soul! (Ps. 103:1-6, 22).
Dan Petty
