I love music, especially Gospel music. My favorite is Southern Gospel, but the lyrics in contemporary Christian songs can capture my heart, as well. It seems when Gospel music is playing I can sense the Lord’s presence even more. It’s electrifying, exhilarating, powerful and perhaps other adjectives I can’t even name!
WORSHIP MUSIC BRINGS TEARS
But since I’ve become a widow….music often means tears. I can’t explain it, but the words won’t come while tears roll down my cheeks. I’ve heard it said that those tears are ‘worship tears’ and they can be more honest than trying to sing through them. It’s our heart turning to God in its brokenness.
WORSHIP IN THE WILDERNESS
There is an event of music mentioned in Exodus 15 after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea that pulls at my heart. They were led in music and singing by Miriam, Aaron’s sister in celebration and thanksgiving for the miraculous deliverance they’d just experienced! They sang praises to God for their safety. Is that not what we do, as well? We sing when we are happy and want to express this through song! This is worship!
IN GOD’S PRESENCE
Have you ever tried to ‘just sit’ in God’s presence? God tells us to ‘Be still and know that I am God’. I admit, ‘sitting still’ is a hard call for me. My mind rambles every where, making it difficult to ‘be still’. The world rushes in and my to-do list takes over making ‘quiet’ a challenge.
My worries and unanswered questions keep interrupting the silence. So how can I trust my heart to hear Him speak, if I’m hearing clamoring noise in my head about all the things that have me unsteady? But being still and quiet before God, making space for communication is also an act of worship! And being quiet before Him and letting him heal our hearts is yet another way to worship!
FAITH AND OBEDIENCE
Abels’ offering reflected faith and obedience making it an act of worship. As I give my tithes and offerings, I am also participating in worship much the way Abel did! It makes me wonder: as I place my funds in the plate, am I giving in faith like Abel, or not so much…like Cain? It’s certainly something I need to be aware of!
But this isn’t nearly all the examples of worship. Every single part of a church service is worship, as should be every area of our lives whether we are in a church service, at work, home, shopping, or doing any activity!
ALIGNED WITH CHRIST
Worship is about opening our hearts and aligning ourselves with Christ! It’s a time to honor God whether we are confessing our sins, forgiving someone, sharing kindness, signing a commitment card, taking notes, listening to the sermon, greeting other believers, taking communion, or in prayer whether corporately, silently or expressing our hearts with our voice!
As we carry out worship in our daily lives, we will feel the Spirit nudge us when we err, or when we are being obedient to his voice. Our hearts will again sing songs of praise, much like Miriam and others did, because we will be expressing gratitude and worship to a God who is always with us, even in the hard times.
He guides and gives counsel, convicts and holds us near when life throws us a ‘curve ball’. He teaches and protects and so much more, while filling our hearts with His music, and when we give it back to Him, we are in worship!
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