I woke up and thanked God that today was Sunday and I had the privilege of going to church to worship Him. Yes, it is a privilege when we live in a country where we can freely attend the church of our choice and worship how we please, but this isn’t an essay about freedom in our country. It’s about freedom in our spirit, where we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us and give us that joy of worshipping our Lord.

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord” (Psalm 122:1) is one of the first verses I remember memorizing as a child. As an adult, I prefer the way the Message Bible words the verse: When they said, “Let’s go to the house of GOD,” my heart leaped for joy.

Now the next Sunday I hadn’t slept very well the night before and it was harder to feel that delight; however, as I got dressed and drove to church, I prayed and before I was at the door, the joy had returned. That’s one of the blessings our precious Father gives us – to enthusiastically worship Him. Perhaps that’s part of what the Bible means when it says to Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength (Mark 12:30). That command is also quoted in Deuteronomy, Matthew and Luke, so it must be vital for God’s children.

Is that the way you feel when it’s time to go to worship? If not, please ask your Father to show you the reason. He would be delighted! That is His desire for all His precious ones. Let’s begin to reap some of the benefits of being a born-again believer in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. That’s a small one but it will help us grow into the likeness of Jesus.