Reflections on “Worship the Lord!” February 22, 2022

O worship the King, all glorious above, And gratefully sing, His power and His love. Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days. Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise! Robert King wrote this hymn after he read Psalm 104.

O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom, have you made them all.  The earth is full of your creatures. Psalm 104:24.

May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in His works, who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke! I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. Psalm 104:31-33.

This morning, I read the two verses of Psalm 24. The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.

I remember thinking as a teenager that I wanted to make my own decisions, not realizing I belong to God and His Way of Righteousness. Slowly, I learned I am God’s Creation with His purposes already set for me. Is this why I observed the valleys and hills flying by as Dad drove us home in Oklahoma? I remember imagining God’s finger creating each curvature of the hills. Then I wondered how big God is. And the realization of God’s greatness led to worshiping Him in my Heart.

Worship is made up of the realization that all the earth and the universe is His Creation. And we sing, “How deep the Father’s love for us, How vast beyond all measure, That He should give His only Son, To make a wretch His treasure.” (S. Townend).

With love comes commitment and trust! And the Delight of being loved and cared for. Man endures betrayal from other men, but God will never betray us. His Love is for eternity.

Because we can trust Him, we have Faith in his Goodness. One cannot exist without the other. Why? So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13:13.

I found twenty-five verses with the word Worship, from Daniel 2:23 to James 3:10. I found fifteen of these from the books of Psalms. Each time, other words were coupled with the word, Worship. The word, Listen, surprised me.

Listening goes both ways — We know God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His Will, God listens to him. John 9:31. In a world where the air is filled with words of all kinds. It matters what we hear. In Acts 16:25, Paul and Silas were praying and singing… and the prisoners listened. Then came an earthquake and everyone was freed. The jailer was about to kill himself… until Paul assured him no one had left. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”  And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. Acts 16:30-32.

Worshiping God is enjoying the quiet and listening for God’s Presence. The assurance of knowing God is present and loves us gives us great Joy. The verse at the end of Matthew gives Peace in our hearts. “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” We don’t have to wait for Him to return from a journey. He walks beside me. Another beautiful promise… And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion on the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6.

We are constantly alert for reactions of rejection by people we meet. There is no such rejection ever from God. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8.

Where do we worship? Before Jesus was born, God’s chosen people were to build tabernacles and synagogues where people gathered to worship God. Now we worship God with others called the church or the body of Christ. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would come and be with us. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17.

The Apostle Paul knew about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own. I Corinthians 6:19. As a child, we lived in a three-room house with a yard enclosed by a picket fence. I felt safe and unafraid of anything in that yard. On the other side of the house, sentries of poplar trees stood guard. Then I read this scripture from Psalm 139:4-5. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 

This chapter ends with verses 23-24, Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting!

God provides for us, including our provisions, our purpose in life, our salvation, the blessings of Creation, and even each breath we take. And it all began with Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And ends with Revelation 22:20b. “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

With heartfelt gratitude for His creation and salvation, we sing a new song. Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of the godly! Psalm 149:1.

How will worship help me? With the lack of truth in the world, our direction is often garbled. And the direction is provided by Jesus, the Son of God. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6. Jesus points the way, and He knows the truth, and through Him, we have life abundantly.  And we will live in unity – Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Romans 12:16.

We all want to worship something. Where is your heart leading you? No other God can forgive our sins or make the following promise.

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” John 14:1-4.