I want to encourage you over these next number of days, while we may not meet corporately for worship, this is an opportunity for each of us to grow truly closer to God in worship.
David was a man after God’s own heart. He worshipped God while he was alone in the night watches as a shepherd. He would sing and pray to the Lord, cherishing His time with God.
David loved God. “I Love you, O Lord, my strength.” (Psalm 18:1)
He trusted God. “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)
Obedience to God’s Word was important to him. “Give me understanding
And I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.” (Psalm 119:34)
He was repentant. “Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51 -read the whole Psalm)
We too can cultivate that same heart of worship before the Lord. Cherish your time alone with the Lord – He will meet you where you are. You can sing along with a recording (also using spotify or youtube) or sing without any accompaniment; God puts a song in our hearts as we spend time with Him. Read aloud scriptures of praise to God and tell Him from your own heart. Meditate on His word. This will help you to fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2)
Although in the Bible, God commands us to sing, (over 400 references to singing & 50 direct commands)
“Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His Name; tell of His salvation from day to day.” (Psalm 96:1-2)
“Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!” (Psalm 47:6)
Worship is more than singing. It is a life-style. The greatest commandment is “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind.” The second is “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt 22:37-38)
So, during these days, each morning as you begin your day, give the first fruit of your day to the Lord – worshiping Him (in song and in spoken word), spending time in His word and in prayer. As you do this, you will come into His presence; His praise will fill your heart and His Word will come alive to you. He will keep you in His peace and you will be sensitive to His voice about how to reach out to those around you in His love and care.
I would like to leave you with Psalm 34, a Psalm of David.
1 “I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul will make its boast in the LORD;
The humble will hear it and rejoice.
3 O magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him
And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.
8 O taste and see that the LORD is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
9 O fear the LORD, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.
11 Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 Who is the man who desires life
And loves length of days that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil
And your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous
And His ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the LORD is against evildoers,
To cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry, and the LORD hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones,
Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The LORD redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.”
By Gary Rhodes, Worship Pastor