Worship: Who or What Sits on the Throne

Everyone worships something. Worship is not optional; it is inevitable. The only question is *who* or *what* occupies the throne of our hearts. If it is not God, it will be something else...career, relationships, money, ideology, or even ourselves. When we are not fully surrendered to the Lord, we quietly replace Him with a substitute ruler. Scripture reminds us that true worship begins with desire rightly ordered. David declares in Psalm 27:4 that his one pursuit was to dwell in God’s presence and gaze upon His beauty. The Hebrew word for "gaze" is chazah, which speaks of deep contemplation, not a passing glance. True worship fixes our eyes on God until our hearts are realigned.

Our culture constantly invites us to enthrone self, saying “find your truth,” “live your truth.” Pride fuels this mindset, the same pride that once caused Satan to declare, “I will be like God.” That same craving for control lives in the human heart. We want authority over our time, our money, and even other people. Jesus confronted this repeatedly, especially in religious leaders who used God’s law to gain power and influence. In contrast, Jesus taught that true worshipers would worship the Father in *spirit and truth* (John 4:23–24). Worship is no longer tied to a place, because through Christ the veil was torn and God’s Spirit now dwells within believers. We have become His temple.

Worshiping in truth requires humility. “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (Prov. 3:34). Pride says, “I am in control.” Worship says, “God, You are.” Worship is also obedience. The first mention of worship in Scripture comes in Genesis 22, when Abraham obeyed God by offering Isaac. His worship was faith in action—trusting that God could even raise the dead (Heb. 11:17–19).

Worship is not passive. Scripture describes praise as shouting, singing, lifting hands, kneeling, and giving thanks...even before the answer comes. It is expressive, embodied, and free from the fear of man. Worship is also sacrificial. David refused to offer God something that cost him nothing, reminding us that the value of our worship reflects the worth we assign to God.

Finally, worship is warfare and transcendent. God is enthroned on the praises of His people, strongholds fall, chains break, and heaven touches earth. When we worship, we align ourselves with the eternal reality of heavenly Mount Zion and the heavenly Jerusalem, where worship never ceases. And in that alignment, God reigns.