Here’s what worship is to me:
Singing to Him just because He is, for no other reason than that. Saying to Him, I love You Father God for all You are, my Rock, my Comfort, my Warrior King, my Strength, my New Song, my Laughter and my Tears.
Worship is being able to say, “thank you” for walking with me through my mother’s death. Washing away the anger, disappointment, and bitterness and dislike while cleaning up her messes and combing what little hair she had left. In the flow of His grace and love and mercy, He gave me the honor to love on her like He would with gentle, compassionate hands and allowed me the privilege of being by her side to sing the “Old Rugged Cross” as she entered His waiting arms. Flooded at that moment with a profound loss, I also felt a wash of His Holy Spirit. Worshiping is knowing that life comes from death and being able to bow in reverence at the thought of how much He loves me.
Forgiveness
Worship is honoring my covenant with my husband, made before the Lord, simply because I promised God this marriage was for all the rest of the days of my life. It is being able to scream and cry, pouring out the pain of my betrayed heart, knowing He understands, knowing He will wipe away my tears, and that it will all be okay because God never lies. And as I am obedient to Him, I’ll be able to forgive and love again.
Worship is going out of my house in the morning and hearing the birds greet me as they sing their own thanks for God’s provision. They remind me to say, “Thank you for ears to hear their music.” All these things are gifts from my Father in His desire to help me understand about love. His love and others’.
Restoration
Worship happens when I find myself like the dry, brittle bones in Ezekiel because of the world’s intrusion on my time with Him. Crying out in my despair, I find my God waiting to breathe fresh, new life into me. It is a picture He gives me regarding the life and purpose of fellow believers and being able to completely rejoice at the blessings I see in their lives.
Worship is reading His Word and finding the priceless nuggets of truth, just waiting to be mined. It is awakening in the middle of the night with a song running through my soul. Praising Him for being such an awesome God.
Worship is riding home on the train and being blessed even when my world is wrapped in dark clouds and witnessing the most incredible sunsets because of the clouds. I find myself saying, “Thank you, Dad,” and meaning it with all my heart. Or while on the train in the morning and singing quietly about the awesomeness of my God—who cares if everyone around me frowns or moves because I am a little strange? Worship is delighting in the rainbow of God’s humanity.
I can worship every moment of every day when I ponder two very simple things:
- Who is God in this circumstance–in my life right now?
- How truly remarkable that the Creator of the universe loves me enough to die in my place.
“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.” Psalm 95:6-7
