Purification – Fitness for Worship

Higher
Higher
Higher
Higher

Rays of the sun shining behind an evening cloud

Can you take us higher Lord?
To the highest place
Can you take us higher?
We want to come higher
We want to come higher, Lord
To the highest place
We want to come higher Lord
Can you take us higher?
Can we come higher?
To the highest place with you
Do you want us to come there with you?

Can we leave our trash behind
Put down our idols
Smash our selfish deeds
Stop praising the works of our hands,
Our daughters
We want to go higher
They’re weighing us down
Drop them now
Drop the idols and the daughters
Our boastful pride, leave it there
So we can go higher

Woman at the base of a ladder reaching up to a blurred hand

A daisy flower looking up into a blue cloudy sky

Please take us higher Lord
To the highest place
Please take us higher
We want to come higher
We are ready to come higher, Lord
To the highest place,
We are ready to come higher Lord
Please take us higher
Let us come higher
Let us come higher
Let us come higher
To the highest place with you
You want us there with you.

Let’s Go Higher

I believe that divine inspiration can be birthed through worship. I sang this song spontaneously after praying in the Holy Spirit for an hour. I wrote down the words to the song, and the Lord immediately told me to release it.

God’s will is for us to ascend with him, but we must allow him to purify us on the way up. That purification requires us to renounce our idols and false gods and return Christ to his position as #1. This is confirmed in the Word of God:

For He has rescued us and has drawn us to Himself from the dominion of darkness, and has transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption [because of His sacrifice, resulting in] the forgiveness of our sins [and the cancellation of sins’ penalty].

He is the exact living image [the essential manifestation] of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible], the firstborn [the preeminent one, the sovereign, and the originator] of all creation.

For by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, [things] visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [that is, by His activity] and for Him. And He Himself existed and is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [His is the controlling, cohesive force of the universe.] He is also the head [the life-source and leader] of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will occupy the first place [He will stand supreme and be preeminent] in everything.

For it pleased the Father for all the fullness [of deity—the sum total of His essence, all His perfection, powers, and attributes] to dwell [permanently] in Him (the Son), and through [the intervention of] the Son to reconcile all things to Himself, making peace [with believers] through the blood of His cross; through Him, [I say,] whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Colossians 1:13-20 (AMP)

God is jealous. God will not tolerate idol worship. He desires our full devotion.

People may not even realize that they are worshipping false gods, or idols. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines the word “idol” as “an object of extreme devotion.”

“Worship” is defined as “to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor or devotion.” As a noun, “worship” can include “extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem.”

People may worship a number of things, including money, sports, career, or even children.

The Bible itself identifies an idol as anything that would take God’s place in your heart.

Man in purple jumpsuit leaning on the altar of a church

Little children (believers, dear ones), guard yourselves from idols—[false teachings, moral compromises, and anything that would take God’s place in your heart].
1 John 5:21 (AMP)

Take a moment now to ask God to reveal any idols that may be holding first place in your life.

Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?

Or who may stand in His holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,

Nor sworn deceitfully.

He shall receive blessing from the Lord,

And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him,

Who seek Your face. Selah
Psalm 24:3-6 (NKJV)

Relevant Scripture

Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.

Genesis 6:1-2 (NKJV)

“For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.

“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

Deuteronomy 30:11-20 (NKJV)

‘Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods: I am the Lord your God.

Leviticus 19:4 (NKJV)

‘You shall not make idols for yourselves; neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves; nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am the Lord your God.

Leviticus 26:1 (NKJV)

“Do not go on boasting so very proudly,
Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth;
For the Lord is a God of knowledge,
And by Him actions are weighed (examined).

1 Samuel 2:3 (AMP)

For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised;
He is also to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and gladness are in His place.
Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
Give to the Lord glory and strength.
Give to the Lord the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him.
Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!

1 Chronicles 16:25-29 (NKJV)

The boastful and the arrogant will not stand in Your sight;
You hate all who do evil.

Psalm 5:5 (AMP)

Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive blessing from the Lord,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face. Selah

Psalm 24:3-6 (NKJV)

“My beloved speaks and says to me, ‘Arise, my love, my fair one, And come away.

Song of Solomon 2:10 (AMP)

Jesus replied, “Woman, believe Me, a time is coming [when God’s kingdom comes] when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You [Samaritans] do not know what you worship; we [Jews] do know what we worship, for salvation is from the Jews. But a time is coming and is already here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit [from the heart, the inner self] and in truth; for the Father seeks such people to be His worshipers. God is spirit [the Source of life, yet invisible to mankind], and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

John 4:21-24 (AMP)

But you, beloved, build yourselves up on [the foundation of] your most holy faith [continually progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], pray in the Holy Spirit, and keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously and looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ [which will bring you] to eternal life.

Jude 1:20-21 (AMP)

References

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Idol. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved July 3, 2022, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idol

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Worship. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved July 3, 2022, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worship