Read Psalm 84:1-12
“For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness” (v. 10).
Why should we worship God? For the conscientious soul, worshiping God is an act of obedience. God commands that we worship him, and therefore we obey. Obedience is a required portion of our relationship with God, but by no means should it be the entirety. Worship is not just the fulfilment of our obligation, but it is our joy! It draws us closer to the One we love. In Psalm 122 we read, “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord.”
In a human relationship, we do not find it surprising that those who are in love look forward to spending time together. My wife and I share a weekly date night, not out of obligation, but out of our desire to spend quality time together. Is that also how we view our relationship with God? As we draw near unto God in worship, we find that he draws near to us (James 4:8), and our relationship grows even closer. (Daniel Merkley)

To Jesus every day I find my heart is closer drawn;
He’s fairer than the glory of the gold and purple dawn;
He’s all my fancy pictures in its fairest dreams and more;
– W. C. Martin (Public Domain)

Do we cherish our time with God, or is it merely an obligation?

This devotional is the Tuesday, October 25, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.