Psalm 85:6 Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?
The pinnacle of human maturity is to rejoice in the Lord; to be able to find joy and delight in Him alone. Rejoicing in the Lord is worship. Some of the most powerful seasons of spiritual growth in my life have simply been seasons where I am constantly rejoicing in the Lord. It feels like 24/7 worship happening in my life. I awake in praise and go to sleep with my thoughts turned toward Him.
This should be the normal life for a worship leader. We should not come to worship rehearsal and need to spend time "refocusing" due to the fact that the whole week has been spent unfocused on God. The walk of a worship leader is meant to keep us in a place of worship so that when we take the stage, we can simply be authentic and still lead people in worship.
This does not mean we shouldn't have problem and life should be perfect all of the time.
Will you not revive us again...
Even in the course of a single week, enough life happens that we need to the Lord to revive us many times over. The problem is that we often turn to other things to revive us: our thoughts, entertainment, relationships, etc. If we allow the Lord to revive, then the outcome is us rejoicing in Him.
He can be everything for us if we allow Him to be. He can be our joy in times of sorrow. He can be our strength in times of weakness.
If we choose to life in a way where we can constantly find joy and delight in him, then we can life in a never-ending season of praise. And we can lead others with complete authenticity because we live a worshiping lifestyle.
Showing posts with label Worship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Worship. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Thursday, April 3, 2014
April 3, 2014: Revealed to Children
Luke 10:21 - At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said "I praise you, Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father for this was your good pleasure."
Jesus was not referring to literal children, he was referring to the 72 disciples who had just returned after Jesus sent them out. They had returned to Jesus full of excitement because they were successful in the assignment that Jesus had given them, to heal the sick and cast out demons.
Jesus told them to rejoice not because the evil spirits obey them, but rather because there names were written in the book of life.
Jesus reveals this one simple truth to them: It's not what you do, it's where you belong that matters.
God desires to reveal things to us as children rather than students. It seems counter intuitive that in order to know more we need to study less, but the reality is that God is a person and He teaches through relationship. He wants us to stay in awe of him like children in awe of their parents.
How do children learn? They understand first that they belong, and therefore have access. We need to become like children again, believe that we belong to our heavenly Father. When we live with that daily reality, we then will recognize that we always have access.
This is how God reveals things to us and teaches us. We worship by acknowledging that we belong to Him. And as we more fully embrace that reality, we can more effectively lead people into that reality. We can actually lead worship in a way that brings people into an understanding that they belong as well. Worship is meant to be a refuge for the weary, a place of strength for the weak.
Jesus was not referring to literal children, he was referring to the 72 disciples who had just returned after Jesus sent them out. They had returned to Jesus full of excitement because they were successful in the assignment that Jesus had given them, to heal the sick and cast out demons.
Jesus told them to rejoice not because the evil spirits obey them, but rather because there names were written in the book of life.
Jesus reveals this one simple truth to them: It's not what you do, it's where you belong that matters.
God desires to reveal things to us as children rather than students. It seems counter intuitive that in order to know more we need to study less, but the reality is that God is a person and He teaches through relationship. He wants us to stay in awe of him like children in awe of their parents.
How do children learn? They understand first that they belong, and therefore have access. We need to become like children again, believe that we belong to our heavenly Father. When we live with that daily reality, we then will recognize that we always have access.
This is how God reveals things to us and teaches us. We worship by acknowledging that we belong to Him. And as we more fully embrace that reality, we can more effectively lead people into that reality. We can actually lead worship in a way that brings people into an understanding that they belong as well. Worship is meant to be a refuge for the weary, a place of strength for the weak.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
April 1, 2014: The Sanctuary of God
Psalm 73:16-17 - When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me, till I entered the sanctuary of God.
In the midst of life circumstances we often seek clarity and perspective to help us deal with the challenges. The way we naturally seek these things is through our thoughts. Thinking on a matter until we can understand the situation.
But consider the difference between roads and destinations. A road leads us to a destination and not the other way around. If peace and clarity are the destination, then understanding that comes from our thinking is not right road to take. It becomes oppressive to us.
We cannot think ourselves into a lifestyle of faith. We cannot rationalize peace into our lives. We need to take a different road. And the psalmist has discovered it. It was when he abandoned the road that leads to understanding to take the road that leads to the sanctuary of God that he found relief.
I would call the sanctuary of God the presence of God because it is the place where God dwells. It is when we stop seeking understanding that I can find peace in His presence. I can find everlasting joy and freedom.
Then the very thing that was troubling to me no longer has power over me. Though I may not have understanding I have a peace that surpasses understanding. To worship God in the middle of confusion is to take the road that leads to his presence, to his sanctuary. It takes me of the road that leads to oppression and puts me on the road that leads to life.
In the midst of life circumstances we often seek clarity and perspective to help us deal with the challenges. The way we naturally seek these things is through our thoughts. Thinking on a matter until we can understand the situation.
But consider the difference between roads and destinations. A road leads us to a destination and not the other way around. If peace and clarity are the destination, then understanding that comes from our thinking is not right road to take. It becomes oppressive to us.
We cannot think ourselves into a lifestyle of faith. We cannot rationalize peace into our lives. We need to take a different road. And the psalmist has discovered it. It was when he abandoned the road that leads to understanding to take the road that leads to the sanctuary of God that he found relief.
I would call the sanctuary of God the presence of God because it is the place where God dwells. It is when we stop seeking understanding that I can find peace in His presence. I can find everlasting joy and freedom.
Then the very thing that was troubling to me no longer has power over me. Though I may not have understanding I have a peace that surpasses understanding. To worship God in the middle of confusion is to take the road that leads to his presence, to his sanctuary. It takes me of the road that leads to oppression and puts me on the road that leads to life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)