Our worship in reality

E1169
1
Our worship in reality
Is typified in Moses’ law:
With Canaan’s produce, rich and sweet,
All Israel came and worshipped God.
2
’Tis thus that we must come today
To worship in reality:
When we bring Christ as produce sweet
God fully satisfied will be.
3
The worship that God so desired
Was not with manna sent from heav’n,
But from their labor on the land
The people’s gifts to God were giv’n.
4
Thus, what God so desires today.
Are not the miracles so grand,
But daily, normal life in Christ,
As worship, produce of the land.
5
The manna came from God alone;
The produce, from man’s work on Him.
So all our worship now must come
From mingling with the Lord within.
6
As day by day we live in Christ,
And take Him as our everything,
The produce of the land comes forth
And worship true to God we’ll bring.
7
The manna, Lord, no more we’ll seek,
But Christ in all we will apply;
Then we will have some produce sweet,
Thine own dear heart to satisfy.
1
Maurice Ward

Irving, Texas, United States

What a wonderful vision this is.

The manna came from God alone;

The produce, from man’s work on Him.

So all our worship now must come

From mingling with the Lord within

God began by feeding the Israelites. Though sweet and comforting to be taken care of God by in this way this one way relationship does not meet God's goal. God ultimately desires a partnership; He desires an intimate relationship. To fulfill His goal God needed the Israelites to work. Although the word work is used here, the real sense is that God needs us to need Him. As we need Him we are forced to open to Him. This is the mingling. Thus, we are lovingly, and frequently contacting God throughout all our day resulting in a romantic spousal relationship between God and man that satisfies God and man.