Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to usward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. Psalm 40:5

One of the functions of the church is to make much of God. To praise and glorify God is the solemn and whole duty of creation, but most especially to those who have been called out of the deceitfulness of sin and loosed from the bondage of human depravity. God surely does all things well and He does nothing more wonderful than saving a sinner! Can I get a witness?!

We don't have to go to church to make much of God, but we can. And we ought to if we can and when we can. God has done so much for us and it's just right to do what we ought to for Him. After all, He does want us to go to church.

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Hebrews 10:25

When God's people get together in the name of Jesus Christ with the prompting and presence of the Holy Spirit to promote the truth of God's Holy Word, wonderful things happen which may not happen in any other place and time. Each time the local church meets for worship, miracles happen. No matter how large or small the congregation may be, most likely that assembly will never be exactly the same ever again. No two congregational assemblies are ever alike exactly, whether that be in number, mindset, personality or need. Although we preach from the same Bible and sing from the same hymn book, there are more things going on that are unseen that only God knows about and He only can address. It's good to know we gather as likeminded people of faith, but it's even more comforting to know we gather to worship the only one who can meet all our needs, especially those others can't see and we may not be aware of .

Truly, our God is wonderful. Many are His wonders displayed on the outside for all to see, like His creation, His creatures and the conflict between good and evil. Even more numerous and profound are the things God does that can't be seen by mortal eyes but are felt and revealed to renewed hearts. His unseen hands are shaping us to be like Jesus Christ and we are assured of Heaven's glory by the abiding support provided underneath His everlasting arms. No doubt, there is far more going on in any given worship service which we can't see than what we can see.

Pubic worship in the context of the local church should be approached humbly, gratefully and meditatively. Christianity is a thinking religion and the pews and the pulpit are places set apart to think about God, others, and ourselves.

God thinks of us

The reason God did and is still doing His wonderful works is because He is thinking of us. he knew we would need a Savior and He sent His only begotten son to save us from our sins. The Bible is not for God but for us. He was thinking of us when He inspired certain men to write such gracious words. Actually, the Bible is how we know, at least to some degree, what God is thinking. It tells us how God feels about a lot of things including worship and sin. The Bible also tells us that Jesus loves us and that His love is everlasting and unconditional. 

The Lord laid the foundation and is right now in the process of building His church because He was thinking of us. Amazing Grace is italicized by the fact that an Almighty, Holy God would have anything whatsoever to do with sinners like us, let alone arrange a place where we can sit together in heavenly places on Earth.

Next time you have the opportunity to go to church, consider God's thoughts of you and how wonderful, gracious and wise they really are. No matter what we're going through, or what we've done wrong or what we'd like to do right but can't, it's good to know god is thinking of us, even if our circumstances don't seem to be getting better.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11

We think of God

Just like His love, we think of God because He thought of us first. God not only changes our hearts when He saves us, He changes our brains too! God's grace is so powerful because it changes our thinking and thereby changes our principles too. Before God quickened us from the dullness and deadness caused by sin, God was the last thing on our minds.

The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God; God is not in all his thoughts. Psalm 10:4

There is a comforting correlation between what God thinks and what we think regarding public worship in the church. According to the scriptures, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ is a clear message explaining what God thinks. The church is built on this thought of God which became reality. The redeemed on the Earth gather together to exalt and praise the Lord Jesus Christ and to express appreciation for our Heavenly Father's thinking of us. 

Nevertheless, these same fleshly beings, though changed and enlivened by the Holy Spirit, also expose their thoughts by presenting themselves in bodily fashion as a living sacrifice, submitting to the Lordship of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.Romans 12:1

God is on the minds of believers far more than most believers admit. The truth is, we ought to think about God all the time. This will help us sin a lot less and provide good guidance as we navigate through the tight spots in this life. Since God tells us to pray without ceasing and also to be thankful for all things, the thinking of Him on our prat is a "no brainer"! Since God saved us from such a big mess, He sure has the right to mess with our minds. So if God has put something on our minds; confessing a sin, helping someone in trouble, or rescuing someone from trouble, or going to church, we ought to do it. There are some things we shouldn't have to think very long about.

Thoughts are important

It is not what we do, nor what we say, but it's what we think that really makes us who we are. This is because what we think determines what we will say and do in many situations. No matter how hard we try, our thoughts will break through and spill over into actions and words, sometimes much to our dismay.. Even though God has changed our brains, all of us have to deal with sinful or wrong thoughts. This is the battlefield of our spiritual warfare and calls for the application of God's word, and the wearing of the spiritual armor provided every soldier of Christ.

There is no greater spiritual discipline than; the discipline of our thoughts. One way we do that is to think about the right things.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8

The human mind is easily distracted and a focus of faith is needed to keep our thought life on the right track. We'll need the Holy Spirit to enable us to not tire of putting off the bad or wrong thoughts and to put on the right thoughts. Who knows if we may be living right where we are today just so the Holy Spirit can live our the right thoughts He put in us through His grace. Jesus did not say, "As a man thinkers in His heart, so is he" without putting some thought to it. We may never know what God is doing, but we can be sure He knows what we are thinking.

Brother Randy