An Act of Worship

This post is from a dear friend, Natalya. Many of you will remember her from her time working with me on Strength & Song. She is expecting her third little boy very soon, and she has humbly sought the Lord’s guidance on how she views pregnancy. I hope you are as blessed as I was reading her words!

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So often, it is easy to view worship as something we reserve for singing of songs or prayer. But worship is an attitude of the heart – “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me…” Matthew 15:8-9a. I could be singing my heart out, eyes closed and arms raised, and my heart could very well be far from Him.

A few months ago, as I began planning the arrival of our third baby, I desired to view the entire birth as an act of worship to the Lord. So often we view birth as a scary, painful, and unpleasant thing to get over with so we can have our baby safe in our arms. I don’t want to have that mindset this time around – I want to intentionally lean in to the Lord and experience the miracle of birth as a form of worship to the Sustainer and Author of life. Preparing for the birth has changed from simply making sure I have all the supplies I need and arrangements made to praying about how I can incorporate scripture and praise into the time of labor, how can I and those in the room supporting me have a mindset of worshipful peace and awe of the Lord.

Praying through this has led to conviction. I have had a doozy of a pregnancy. From the very beginning, I have suffered from numerous complications that have crippled me physically, mentally, and emotionally. When I became pregnant, I was at the healthiest physical state I have ever been, and going from that to feeling broken and empty and so very helpless despite my best efforts has been demoralizing and humbling. I realized through the Holy Spirit that I have been viewing the birth as something to worshipfully surrender to the Lord, but the pregnancy itself as something to get through and bemoan and even detest. Is that a heart of worship? God is sovereign. He could have given me a blissful, enjoyable maternity experience. I would have praised His name. He chose not to. Does that mean He is less worthy of my praise? Indeed not.

My prayer is that I will take this conviction, repent of my lack of worship in the midst of suffering, and move forward in this pregnancy with a heart of worship and awe at the goodness of God, despite the trials of life. My body may be failing me in so many ways, but God will never fail me! His strength is enough.

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart;
He is mine forever.
Psalm 73:26

Ask the Lord to search your heart and bring to light areas that you are withholding from Him. What in your life are you failing to offer to the Lord in worship? Is it your marriage? Your relationships? Parenting? Your career? It is simple to change that mindset. I pause and humble my heart before Him and pray, “Lord, how can I bring you glory in this situation/season/circumstance? Show me how to have a heart of worship even though this is something I don’t want to have in my life right now. Please turn it into something that can be used for Your glory and to further Your kingdom. You are worthy.”

For a biblical understanding of what worship is, I recommend reading this article from John Piper.

The inner essence of worship is to know God truly and then respond from the heart to that knowledge by valuing God, treasuring God, prizing God, enjoying God, being satisfied with God above all earthly things. And then that deep, restful, joyful satisfaction in God overflows in demonstrable acts of praise from the lips and demonstrable acts of love in serving others for the sake of Christ.
John Piper

Not an Idol, but the Living God

Psalm 115

Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth.
Why should the Gentiles say,
“So where is their God?”

But our God is in heaven;
He does whatever He pleases.
Their idols are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.
They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;
They have ears, but they do not hear;
Noses they have, but they do not smell;
They have hands, but they do not handle;
Feet they have, but they do not walk;
Nor do they mutter through their throat.
Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them.

O Israel, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.

The Lord has been mindful of us;
He will bless us;
He will bless the house of Israel;
He will bless the house of Aaron.
He will bless those who fear the Lord,
Both small and great.

May the Lord give you increase more and more,
You and your children.
May you be blessed by the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s;
But the earth He has given to the children of men.
The dead do not praise the Lord,
Nor any who go down into silence.
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.

Praise the Lord!

This Psalm has been on my mind a lot lately, especially the verses (4-8) describing the futility of idols. This past Sunday, our pastor pointed something out that corresponded with these verses - people who create idols ultimately worship themselves. True, isn’t it?

If an idol has a mouth but can’t speak, who comes up with its rules and morals?

If an idol has eyes but can’t see, who determines right and wrong?

If an idol has ears, but can’t hear, or noses, but can’t smell - who says what’s pleasing and what’s not?

Someone may have a literal figurine or statue that they bow down to, or it may be something abstract. But anything worshiped that isn’t the Lord God is an idol.

Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them.

This Psalm talks about literal statues, physical idols. And the author says that those who create and trust in these idols are like them. Empty, futile, hopeless.

But those who trust in the Lord? We have substance to our faith!

We have the God who speaks, the God who sees, the God who hears and smells and moves. He’s living and active. He is our help and shield, He is not only aware of our lives but involved in them. We don’t serve an idol, we serve the living God!

The dead do not praise the Lord,
Nor any who go down into silence.
But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.

Praise the Lord!

-Amy

Praising for Pieces

There are days that God reveals a lot about His workings.  You probably know what I'm talking about -- the days when He brings many things together all at once and you sit back and marvel at how good He is.  When multiple areas of your life suddenly have clarity, and you see how those seemingly-unconnected areas actually do meet at some point. 

You wonder when He'll let you in on what He's doing; when He'll show you the reasons behind things He asks of you and situations He leads you to.  When you'll see the bigger picture.

And then you have a day when suddenly so many things make sense, and you bask in His glory.  You're overwhelmed by His goodness and thoughtfulness. 

More often than not we want to see the whole picture.  We want to know the whys and the why-nots and the reasons we're involved in what we're involved in with the people who keep showing up.  We search for answers in prayer and the Word and through mentors -- but it's always His timing that reveals.

And I have to wonder, what would happen if we actually knew all that He knows?  What would take place in our minds and hearts if we knew all the whys and the why-nots?  Maybe you have a different story, but God never reveals everything to me.  He gives me pieces; pieces of varying sizes depending on the season, but pieces nonetheless.  What if He gave me more?

I don't think I could handle it.  As it is, the pieces He does give overwhelm me.  They cause me to physically stop moving and allow my mind to think in gratefulness.  There aren't words to express, no arrangement of letters that seems adequate to thank Him or appreciate what He's done.  He goes above and beyond.  My heart swells to exploding and I wonder, Could I really handle any more? 

I may want more -- and surely, if He gives bigger and bigger pieces I will readily accept them.  But He gives the right balance every time; enough to overwhelm while keeping my mind in a functioning state.  Too much and I may pass over it all in fear of missing it all.

He gives pieces to bless us, to grace us, to grow us, to strengthen us.  Pieces He desires we'll hold onto and remember.  When those pieces come, He wants us to take the time to bask in them and thank Him even if we can't find the words.

"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 95:6-7a

Written by Amy Parsons