This weekend the LORD taught me a very valuable lesson. Perhaps it is one that I forgot or one that I needed to be reminded of. It was a lesson about worship.
Have you ever felt so discouraged and overwhelmed while waiting on the LORD for an answer to prayer that it overshadows everything else in your life? Have you ever felt weighed down by the trials in life, wondering when your are going to get a reprieve? Well, the Bible tells us, "Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength," Nehemiah 8:10. We are also reminded that GOD is enthroned in the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3).
So, this weekend in my heaviness of spirit, I picked up my guitar. My husband and I sang praises to the LORD and prayed. Afterwards, I wondered why I did't experience the rush that worship usually brings. The next morning I went to church and as the worship team played, I struggled to worship. I still didn't feel the ecstasy that comes with praise. On Sunday evening, I attended a worship service at our main church. They sang all my favourite songs, I danced, clapped, praised, and yet wondered why my heart felt so desperately unmoved. It was then, in the closing moments of the service as the choir and worship team began to sing, "I sing because You are good," that the Holy Spirit reminded me that worship is not for me, it is for Him. I worship Him because He IS GOOD, because HE IS GOD. Suddenly the weight of heaviness and sense of failure lifted from my heart. I realized that I didn't have to feel happy or emotionally charged to worship GOD. I am not worshiping Him because of my circumstance, I am worshiping Him in spite of it. I simply worship GOD for who HE IS. Peace and joy began to flood my heart once again.
No matter what we are going through in life we are to praise Him. It is our act of walking by faith and not by sight. It is a declaration of who GOD is and a humble acceptance of who we are. He alone is GOD and KING, we are His children. May the LORD strengthen His church by the mighty power of His hand, as we march forth singing His praises all the days of our lives until we meet Him in heaven!
2 comments:
This word is so timely. Long story short, I’ve been in probably the most darkest depression of my life and I consider myself a very strong Christian who is faithfully in God's Word every day. (I’ll spare you the details). I wasn’t even gonna go to church on Sunday but I went (by faith). The title of the message was “Joy” or the lack thereof and it was from Philippians. The pastor said Paul wrote on this topic from a prison? To be honest, I can’t really remember one theological gem that I received from going to church Sunday but, I know I was touched by the invisible, living Spirit of God. In going, God assured me that he is totally in touch with my life and where I’m at. Now this today. God uses this forum and others (ie. our quite times, church, prayer times etc) to assure us of his nearness. Isn’t that what we need? Don’t we always say in our time of need, “we don’t need anyone to necessarily ‘say’ any words to us -- just be there”. So is God. He is there. Faithfully in our lives – even when we don’t ‘feel’ it or things make sense. PS: I love your words below Tasha: “It is our act of walking by faith”. You are definitely ‘walking’ each day by faith! Glory to God!
So true! Does it matter that sometimes I go to chruch and don't 'feel' it? What a great reminder: I'm not there for me, I'm there for Him, for His glory. Drop the 'what's in it for me' attitude, and give it up to God - no mater what's going on in my life - in the good, the bad, and the super ugly. Because He deserves it. He deserves all of me.
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