In the Silence of Worship

We often think of worship as something we do, sing or listen to. But as I was reading my Bible this morning I came across Psalm 105 where David lists nine attributes of a worshipper. At first He talks about the kind of worship we are all familiar with such as singing about how great God is and making sure everyone hears. But then David goes on to list four things we do in silence.

Psalm 105:3-4 Glory in His name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and His strength. Seek His face always.

In this Covid-19 year with just two days remaining till Thanksgiving it can be a struggle to focus on being truly grateful. When I came across this morning’s verse and was encouraged I saw that four silent acts of faith that matter far more to God than all the noise coming from our mouths or instruments. Today we will look at just the first two.

Glory in His Holy name – So is that like the Pentecostal church we visited years ago where we were startled by someone who suddenly stood up and shouted “Glory!”? Does it mean saying, “God is good!” when we’re in church? Or just maybe glorying in His name means something looking forward expectantly to seeing God’s glory in every small thing of my day. Those silent moments of worship are like what Jesus said about the kingdom of God being a small seed that grows into the largest plant in the garden.

Let the hearts of those who seek your face rejoice – Genuine rejoicing lips are rooted in honest rejoicing hearts. You might wonder if seeking God’s face isn’t like a religious game of hide and seek with the Almighty. No! NO! He wants us to find Him just as my wife delighted in hiding baskets filled with chocolates and colored eggs for our children to find on Easter morning. But our children had to be seeking. They had to read and follow the clues she left behind on tiny folded pieces of paper. As they raced from place to place their excitement grew till suddenly behind a doorway or inside a closet they each joyfully found what they had been looking for! Do you have a joyful testimony of something you discovered this year as you spent some of that extra Covid-19 time on seeking His face?

If it has been a struggle to set aside quiet time to just sit in the presence of God and seek Him I hope this music from Eric Terlizzi which I loved to listen to while I prayed some years back may be a blessing to you as well.

Worshipping our Maker and Shepherd

Come let us now down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker, for He is our God and we are the flock under His care. Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts… Psalm 95:6-8a NIV

First thing every morning I make my coffee, find my Bible and sit in the same chair to pray. But commendable as it is to be consistent, real worship isn’t about the position or our words. Worship begins instead only as we listen with softened hearts, ready to hear what God has to say.

He is our Creator. All we are and have came from Him. He never asks us to give anything that didn’t come from His hands.

He is our Shepherd. We belong to Him and He will never lead us anywhere that He will not go. Our Good Shepherd has committed Himself to His sheep and true worship is simply a reflection of His great love! So this morning without fear or second thoughts let’s give Him praise!

Behold Our God

I was so moved by this simple yet powerful song from the Weaver family and friends. It starts a bit slowly but if you stay with it all the way through you will be singing along by the end. God bless you on this special day of rest and worship.