Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Worship.... warfare....


What is worship? I was contemplating this today... I believe that true worship is not something that we do, it is something that we are. It is not just singing a song, or a good sermon. It is something that we are, and should be continuously.
Sometimes true worship can seem embarrassing... maybe God has prompted you to raise your hands during a song and it just seemed too much. But worship is not just for God's sake. The bible says that He inhabits the praise of His people.
Psalm 22:3
 3 But You
are holy,
         Enthroned in the praises of Israel.



That means that through worship we can have a moment to be in close contact with our Sovereign Savior. A chance to enter into His presence and to pour out our hearts to  Him.  

But more than this, the bible also says that He will rejoice over us with singing. I heard a worship leader talking about this today and it really was amazing observation that he had.. He said that when he sings a song, he likes to imagine God singing back to him. 
Zephaniah 3:17
The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

Worship is not a one way street. When we worship God, truly worship God, then our hearts are prepared to hear back from Him. He delights in our praise, He inhabits our praise, and He will quiet us with His love and rejoice over us with singing.  What a beautiful picture that is to me! Us struggling to maintain a semblance of any key or music, and the Creator of voices and song, singing back to us. Delighting in what we give to Him.

More than that though the scriptures call worship, warfare. In Psalm they call the praise of God a two-edged sword used to execute vengeance.



Psalm 149:5-9

 5 Let the saints be joyful in glory;
         Let them sing aloud on their beds.
 6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,
         And a two-edged sword in their hand,
 7 To execute vengeance on the nations,
         And punishments on the peoples;
 8 To bind their kings with chains,
         And their nobles with fetters of iron;
 9 To execute on them the written judgment—
         This honor have all His saints.
        
         Praise the LORD!

We are not called to simple singing or indifferent praise. We are called to worship in spirit and in truth. How many of us can say that is something that we have done this past week?

1 Peter 2:9-10 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.


Until next time: The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord be gracious to you, make His face shine upon you and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26

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