Worship is one of the best things we can do when we face challenges or situations that cause fear. Sunday is not just the day of rest; It is also the day of worship, the day in which we worship God. That’s where the phrase “let’s go to worship” comes from. Throughout the centuries, when God’s people have faced trials and tribulations, they have found comfort in worship. This is why it is so important not to compromise our commitment to worshiping God regularly.

As Ezra and Nehemiah face challenges rebuilding the temple and city walls, it is worship that helps sustain them. Sometimes situations and distractions can distance us from God, who should be our number one priority, and distance us from church and being able to observe and keep Sunday, not only as the day of rest, but also as the day of worship. . Don’t let anything or anyone take that place that only belongs to God, that only He deserves. If your priorities have changed in any way, pray to God to help you put Him first and make worship of our Lord the number one priority in your life.

After some time had passed and God’s people settled into their new homes, they gathered in Jerusalem and built an altar. They did it, in part, because they were afraid. “They set the altar in its place, because they were afraid because of the people of the lands, and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings in the morning and in the evening” (Ezra 3:3). Worship is a double act of remembrance and anticipation. We remember who God is and what God has done for us, and then we anticipate that he will act again. For that reason, worship is one of the best things we can do when we are faced with challenges or fear. In those times, we must remember who God is and what he has done, and then anticipate him acting in that way again.

The result of worship was more worship (Ezra 3:5-6). But it also helped them gather the courage to continue the task they had initially set out to do. They had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple (1:2). After they began to worship, they recognized the fact that “the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid” (3:6). Then again they felt moved to sacrifice themselves and give the money and supplies needed to begin the work (3:7).

Nehemiah 9 also gives us a picture, later in history, of God’s people gathering to worship. In this passage, worship serves another important function: confession and repentance. Here in verse 2, the people recognize that their difficulties have come because they neglected to honor God and his prophets. And then, in verses 6 through 37, they proceed to engage in a beautiful, long corporate prayer filled with memories of who God is and what he has done. Inspired by this, they commit to the covenant with God and to live according to his will (v. 38).

Worship of God leads to action based on faith. When was the last time you faced a difficulty and turned to worship to overcome it? Ezra and Nehemiah give us a picture of a people who have suffered greatly and face tremendous obstacles to any kind of normality in their lives. Instead of escaping from sin or blaming God, they turn to God and worship Him. If worship isn’t a regular part of your life now, it probably won’t be what you turn to when you need God most. Just as the Israelites did in Nehemiah 9, today we must commit ourselves to God. Make worship of God a priority in your life, do not forget to attend the temple to worship Him together with your brothers in Christ, it will be of utmost importance that you stay connected to the body of Christ.

In Christ Jesus, Pastor Guillermo Ayala.