Psalm 99: 4-5 “The King in His might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!”
2 Samuel 24:24 “…I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.”
In modern culture, we can often reduce worship to convenience—a song on the radio, a quick prayer, or fifteen minutes on a Sunday morning. But scripture tells us something different: that true worship is costly, and it begins with a right view of who God is.
These two passages—one poetic, the other historical—reveal that worship is not just about what we say or sing, but about how we respond to God’s holiness with our lives. Together, they challenge us to move beyond surface-level devotion and toward something more authentic: worship that honors God’s majesty with sincerity and awe.
In Psalm 99, we see God’s holiness explained through his power, justice, and righteousness. And then in verse 6-9 we see the history of how God interacts with His people, how He forgives and disciplines.
True worship flows from recognition of the power and majesty of God and a willingness to lay something down in surrender
This theme continues in 2 Samuel 24, where God punishes David for his sins. God, in His mercy, halts the destruction of Jerusalem, and David responds by building an altar to the Lord. Here we see David modeling a heart that understands the cost of meaningful worship. He refuses to accept the oxen for the burnt offering for free. David understands that true worship flows from recognition of the power and majesty of God and a willingness to lay something down in surrender.
Let’s be a people who surrender – not out of guilt or obligation, but out of reverence and love
Worship that costs nothing means little. But when we worship from a place of awe and gratitude, even our sacrifices become acts of joy. God is holy and just, and He is worthy of our wholehearted, costly worship. Let’s be a people who surrender—not out of guilt or obligation, but out of reverence and love.
Reflection Questions:
- What does costly worship look like in my daily life?
- What have I offered to God that has truly cost me something?