“The people whom I formed for Myself will declare My praise.” (Isaiah 43:21 NASB)
When was the last time that we praised God for the blessings in our life?
• Our family - spouse, children, grandchildren;
• Our home - car, furniture, appliances;
• Our job - the ability to work, the place at which we work, our co-workers;
• Our life - the air that we breathe, food that we eat, the ability to walk.
But wait Pastor…..I am divorced, I don’t have a job and cannot find one, I’m unable to have children, I’m old, I’m Deaf. How and why should I praise God? What’s the point?
We should be thankful to God for everything we have, but how often do we praise God for the things we do not have? Some of us are given things that others are not. Yes, thank God for the blessings, but praise and worship Him for the things we do not have. When we say we cannot do something because we do not have it, God tells us to obey Him first and trust Him with the details to provide what we do not have. Each thing we do not have is an opportunity to look to God for the opportunity to share His greatness.
This is hard for us humans to understand.
Why is it so important to praise God? Why is it so important to worship God? What does it accomplish for us?
Worship is what we do when we offer ourselves over to reveal our love for God. It is an essential part of being a Christian, offering our praise, love and our life to God. Worship is not just an act that happens in church on Sunday mornings. It is a lifestyle that drives us to desire becoming more like Jesus.
We have been called to lift up the name of God, to humble ourselves and adore Him. The problem is that we come to worship with other concerns that have nothing to do with genuine worship.
The Lord has made us a special people in order that we may fulfill a special purpose. An important part of worshiping the Lord is proclaiming His greatness. “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28 NLT) Notice there is nothing left out of this statement. This means the things we are blessed with and those things which God has not yet revealed.
To praise our Father is to celebrate Him for who He is and what He has done. This involves the release of our emotions, which frees us to express wholehearted adoration of the Lord. When someone loves another person, the most natural response is to speak highly about the cherished one. In the same way, those who love Christ find that praise comes easily to their lips.
Praising the Lord is good for us. In our self-centered society, people are mostly interested in getting their own needs met. Sadly, this same attitude has found its way into some churches. But God doesn't want us to come to church concerned only about ourselves. Praise lifts our eyes to Christ and fills our hearts with the praise and worship of God that we cannot find when we focus only on what we do not have and what others do have. This can mean anything from cars and clothing to relationships and spiritual “gifts.”
Although praise and worship are usually associated with church services, they should be something we show wherever we are. Some of the most cherished and precious experiences of worship can happen during times spent alone with God.
If one were to find that their praise lacks energy, all we need to do is seek God. Tell the Lord we want to learn to praise and honor Him above all and with our whole heart. The focus of worship is the key.
Remember how God has cared for you, and look every day for Him to show His hand on your life. Then tell Him how great He is.
Worship calls the world to a choice - worship God or worship self. We have become too busy worshiping ourselves to truly be focused on God.
True worship is not about you or me. It’s about God and His grace and mercy and it’s about Jesus Christ and His finished work at the Cross. True worship is centered, focused and intent on revealing Jesus. We are all called to come back to the heart of worship. We are called to bring what we have and what we do not have.
Come back to the personal close relationship with God we have been missing. Come back to worship with an audience of one. Come back to genuinely seeking something deeper with Jesus.
Hello Again!!
7 years ago
