As a hart longs for the flowing streams, so longs my soul for thee, O God. And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides thee. Also mingled with our sense of sin and our longing for his mercy is the feeling of fear and awe before the holiness and magnitude of God. And mingled with our gratitude are the feelings of joy and hope . When these feelings are quickened, the heart is no longer far from God.
Worship is no longer lip-service.
It is genuine and authentic. And now perhaps, coming full circle, it is clearer why I must say true worship is an end in itself. If that which turns habitual forms into true worship is the quickening of these feelings in the heart, then true worship cannot be performed as a means to some other experience. Feelings are not like that. Genuine feelings cannot be manufactured as stepping stones to something else.