Let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise…

Hebrews 13:15

Sundays are busy busy days for me! Getting my family dressed, fed and out the door with any smidgen of civility AND getting to church early enough for me to be ready for the downbeat as I play in the orchedstra is nothing short of a miracle from God!

But the biggest distraction for me during our time at church is what comes after church: my job as a youth orchestra administrator. With Sunday afternoon rehearsals, there are so many details and plans with over 100 families and all their needs and schedules.This is where my mind flits as I play the chimes in “How Great Thou Art” or read a passage of Scripture in Sunday Morning Bible Study. Even with my phone silenced, my mind still wonders if I have the music and the attendance sheets and the lost and found ready for rehearsal!

But worship is why I come to church. To sit at the feet of the One who died for me and remember and praise and draw near...that is my desire.

In the Old Testament, David was given a quick route to worship. When he found the perfect site to build the Lord’s Temple, the owner of the property offered to give it as a gift, as homage, to King David. But David wisely proclaimed: I will not sacrifice to the Lord burnt offerings that cost me nothing (1 Samuel 24:24).

Worship often requires a sacrifice. There is a price. For me, worship demands that I lay aside my to-do list and anxieties and corral my thoughts back to the purpose of worship. It is a dying to myself and my wayward desires. It is the days-ahead review of my music, the early-morning effort to get my family moving, the restraint to keep my eyes off my phone, the pull of my thoughts back to the cross. Worship costs. It is precious to the Lord…a fragrant aroma to Him.

Oh come, let us adore Him!

Jill Hardin