Is Worship Wasted Effort?

Is Worship Wasted Effort?“David longed for water and said, ‘Oh, that someone would get me a drink of the water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!’ So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead he poured it out before the Lord.”2 Samuel 23:15-16 What a beautiful picture of worship is brought before us in the actions of these three mighty men. They overcame the enemy and brought the water to David at great personal risk and in spite of overwhelming obstacles. They were not commanded to perform this deed. It was not a military duty. They acted out of love for their leader. Similarly, our worship of the Lord should not be performed as a duty, but as an act of devotion because we love Him. True worship will involve time and effort and sacrifice, and sometimes the overcoming of great barriers that are thrown in our path by our enemy. Have you ever noticed how many obstacles and diversions seem to present themselves when you would like to spend some time worshiping the Lord? The fact that David poured the water out on the ground makes it seem like these three mighty men were involved in a wasted effort. But David considered their act to be so significant that he honored it and “elevated” it by giving the water as a drink offering to the Lord. Our times of quiet meditation in worship of the Lord may appear to some people as a waste of time and effort. After all, praising and worshiping the Lord does not feed any hungry people or provide any care for the homeless. But from God’s perspective, our quiet worship as well as our active worship has great value, for it brings refreshment to the heart of our King. By David Reid