I decided to end this Week of Worship by bringing us back to the Heart of Worship.
This song has been around for quite a while, but its meaning still holds true. We have a tendency to complicate things that God made simple. Worship is one of those things. We believe that we need fancy PowerPoint slides and at least three different kinds of guitars... or we believe that hymnal four-part harmony is the language of heaven. The problem is that, whenever we decide how God is to be worshiped, it ceases to be worship as God intended.
A "Heart of Worship" is a state of being in which we are always worshiping, in which worship is all about God, the only One worthy of praise.
Let's stop trying too hard and just worship God as He has created us to.
Thank you all so much for coming on this journey with me! This has been a great time for me to really dig into worship songs and what worship really means! I encourage you, if you haven't already, to add a comment about your favorite worship song(s) and maybe a little about what worship of the Holy God means to you!
I don't know how it is in your conversations, but I find myself and my friends trying to "out-complain" each other. Who got the least sleep? Who had the most homework? Who was stuck at school longest through the week? Who has the worst phone? Who has the most difficult shoe size to find?
I never really think about how absurd it is, but it is. It's like reverse bragging; instead of praise we fish for sympathy.
Of course, old-fashioned bragging is still in play. "Not to brag, but..." does not work to keep your listeners from taking your statement as a boast. I am just as guilty of this, trying to bring glory to myself by showing off or trying to slip in a statement about one of my qualities.
But why do we do this? So we can be the center of attention? So everyone can know our name? Why? Get your fifteen minutes of fame and then on to the next. What does that gain you?
If all the people in the world except One don't know your name, then you are known by everyone who matters.
You know how, when you were little, if you could tell a joke or do some trick that made your dad laugh, it was like no one else's opinion mattered? Like if you could impress him, then you were a million dollars? Well, there is a Father who loves you more than any earthly father possibly can and He made you perfect. And if He approves, then you need seek no other praise.
Admittedly, most of us have, at some point, dreamed of being famous in some capacity, whether as a celebrity, musician, athlete, scientist, billionaire, or some combination (the more money, the better). But even if the whole world sees our name in lights and we are not a child of the King, then we will have nothing at the end of the day.
Francesca Battistelli released a song not long ago called "He Knows My Name." And it reminds us that, even if no one on earth knows our name, we are famous to our Father. And if our desire to be recognized is fulfilled there, then we can focus on the true star of the show: Jesus. When we get out of the way, the world can see Him. When we stop trying to soak up all the attention, we allow others to turn their attention to Jesus.
I know on a personal level, it's easy for me to get down when the pageviews for this blog are low and no one comments. I sometimes have to stop myself and ask, "Who am I doing this for? If I'm doing it for God, then why does a number even matter? And if I'm doing it for anyone but God, why am I doing it at all?" I have to remember that, if God sees what I write and is pleased that I am writing for Him, then nothing else matters.
So, instead of bragging on ourselves to elevate ourselves, let's allow ourselves to fall away from center stage and boast on our God, how amazing He is, how much He's done for us!
Listen, fall back to the supporting role, and comment your favorite worship song!
Not to get political on our 5th day of Week of Worship, but let's face it: the world is not getting more friendly and accepting of Christianity. I live in the Bible belt and I don't face a lot of opposition in my small (and mostly Christian) circles, but I know that this is not the case for many if not most people. And with a bunch of you moving off to college this year, knowing what you believe has never been more important.
If you aren't super strong on your apologetics and defense of your faith, that's okay...but you do need to be able to give an answer to everyone who asks (1 Peter 3.15). But how can you defend what you believe if you don't even know what you believe?
Enter Newsboys' We Believe. Like the Apostle's Creed, it is a brief summary of the major points of Christianity that everyone who is truly a Christian holds to be true. I love how the song affirms again and again the reality of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit, the crucifixion, resurrection, and the gift of new life.
This song accompanied the recent film Do You Believe? which I found thought-provoking. Do you believe? Do you truly believe in the cross of Christ? If so, then sing along with Newsboys, because this song is a statement of your faith. And if not, then there's no better time to change that than now.
In this time of desperation
When all we know is doubt and fear
There is only one foundation
We believe, we believe
In this broken generation
When all is dark, You help us see
There is only one salvation
We believe, we believe
We believe in God the Father
We believe in Jesus Christ
We believe in the Holy Spirit
And He's given us new life
We believe in the crucifixion
We believe that He conquered death
We believe in the resurrection
And He's comin' back again, we believe
So, let our faith be more than anthems
Greater than the songs we sing
And in our weakness and temptations
We believe, we believe!
We believe in God the Father!
We believe in Jesus Christ!
We believe in the Holy Spirit!
And He's given us new life!
We believe in the crucifixion!
We believe that He conquered death!
We believe in the resurrection!
And He's comin' back again!
Let the lost be found and the dead be raised!
In the here and now, let love invade!
Let the church live loud our God we'll say
We believe, we believe!
And the gates of hell will not prevail!
For the power of God, has torn the veil!
Now we know Your love will never fail!
We believe, we believe!
We believe in God the Father
We believe in Jesus Christ
We believe in the Holy Spirit
And He's given us new life!
We believe in the crucifixion!
We believe that He conquered death!
We believe in the resurrection!
And He's comin' back,
He's comin' back again!
He's comin' back again!
We believe!
We believe!
The other day, as I was driving to school, at about 7:30 (yes, I have 8AM classes; no, it's not fun), it was just past sunrise. Most of the sky was covered in clouds, but there was one spot, just below where the sun was, where the clouds were ripped just a little. Golden rays of sunlight shone out in glory. It almost made my heart stop for a moment, the kind of moment when you think, "Wow! This is how I imagine it when Jesus comes back!" It was breathtaking, but sadly traffic kept moving and so did I.
Through the whole landscape though, I never actually saw the sun or the sunrise. I knew that it had to be beautiful based on the sliver I could see. But I couldn't see the beauty; I had to trust that it was there, hidden behind the clouds.
Actually though, I think that, maybe the darkness of the clouds, covering everything but the sun's rays spilling out through the rift, was what made the scene so beautiful. The contrast: night and day, dark and light.
So the clouds made the scene more beautiful, and I could enjoy that beauty of contrast as I trusted that the true, pure beauty was hidden just through the obscuring clouds.
The sunrise passed and became blue sky which in turn became night, but the glory of heaven, obscured from our view by mortality and sin, will never wane. If we can just endure, keep trusting that the beauty is just through the clouds, we will at last see it.
It is a hard perspective to maintain, though, and frankly I rarely consider the eternal when making day-to-day choices. But it is especially difficult to keep the goal of heaven in view when we're going through storms.
Last year, I was introduced to Rising, by Paul Baloche. I love the harmonies of the song right away, and I love the message that, from the rising of the sun until the sun goes down, we must praise the name of the Lord. I thought the song fitting to the sunrise analogy. Because sometimes the sky is cloudy, and sometimes it storms, and then it's not as easy to praise God. And sometimes it's sunny and bright and clear and we forget to praise God. Hear this call to worship, let the name of the Lord be praised!
If you need another reason to bless the Lord, check out Matt Redman's Blessed Be Your Name. The message declares that, in the good, in the bad, in the plenty, in the scarce, in the sun, in the storms, God is in control and is to be blessed. Even when our souls are weary from the fight, we bless the name of the Lord. Even when things are going great and we don't think we need Him, we bless the name of the Lord. Even when we can't see the sunrise, we bless the name of the Lord.
This song is a bit of a classic by now, but it's just as good now as it has always been. Blessed be the name of the Lord who gives blessings we don't deserve and takes away when it's for our good.
Listen to the song and drop your favorite worship song in the comments!
Life is good, right? That's what everything tries to tell us.
But sometimes it's not. Sometimes we get weary carrying heavy burdens of shame. Sometimes we wear ourselves out trying to be perfect or trying to compromise. Sometimes we try to reach God by our own means and sometimes we feel too ashamed of our failings to even cry out to Him.
In the Old Testament, God gave His people a lot of rules to follow. If you have ever read through Exodus or Leviticus, you have an idea of how many rules. The Law was everything for the Israelites. And it was a heavy burden, made heavier by the rules the Pharisees imposed on themselves.
But Jesus came and changed everything.
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11: 28-30)
Crowder's song Come As You Are is God's dialogue to us, assuring us that, no matter our burdens or shame, we can come to Jesus, who will give us rest. However, although we are to come as we are, we are not to stay. Faith without works is dead (James 2:17). If an encounter with Jesus does not change you, then you may want to search your heart for why. But know that, if you will simply come, God will take your burdens and shame and give you peace and rest. Nothing on earth can be so hurtful that Heaven can't heal.
Listen to this amazing song and then let me know what your favorite worship songs are in the comments.
**Bonus!!!!**
As I was writing this post, I remembered another song of a very different style but with the same message: that no matter what we try, if we search for rest in this world, we will find only burdens; but if we seek relief at the throne of God, our heavy burdens and heavy hearts will find rest.
Check it out! It's a little different, but it's pretty catchy. Extra credit if you can rock the rap!
Thanks for checking back for day 2 of Week of Worship! I'm excited to share with you today's song. If you've kept up with worship music at all recently, you've probably heard it. But I want to share it anyway because it is so powerful.
I would like to pick a few lines from the song and highlight those, but basically every word is powerful and meaningful, so here goes.
Oh, I've heard a thousand stories //Of what they think You're like.
But I've heard the tender whisper //Of love in the dead of night.
And You tell me that You're pleased //And that I'm never alone.
So we talk about God and His love and His character a lot, right? But until you truly experience His love, you'll never understand, even if you hear "a thousand stories." Even a million stories can't describe the love that a holy God expresses for His sinful people--for you!--promising them that they'll never be alone.
Oh, and I've seen many searching //For answers far and wide.
But I know we're all searching //For answers only You provide.
Because You know just what we need // Before we even say a word.
Can I just say "Wow!" That God knows what I need before I even know what I need...and that He answers it! Beyond that, He is the answer we're all searching for, whether or not we know where to look.
You're a good, good Father. // It's who You are, it's who You are, it's who You are.
And I'm loved by You. // It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am.
No matter what your relationship is with your earthly father, God is our Father and He loves us. He is not just a Father, but He is a good, good Father. He is so much more than that, however, and His identity surpasses any human label. But for us...we are loved by Him and that is all we ever need to be. When I am down, feeling alone or lacking confidence, this song reminds me that I am loved and that is enough.
Because You are perfect in all of Your ways to us!
Everything God has planned for us is perfect. That means complete. Whole. Flawless. It may seem hard and it may feel like God is against you or that He isn't fair or that He simply doesn't care. But the truth is this: His ways are higher than our ways, and though we cannot see them, they are perfect.
Oh, it's love so undeniable,//I can hardly speak.
Peace so unexplainable, //I can hardly think.
As You call me deeper still // into love, love, love ...
We can go as deep as we want into God's gifts of love and peace and never reach the limit and still be overwhelmed by it all. If you are going through a time that is not peaceful or that hurts you deeply, dwell on this: God's love and peace is deeper still than your troubles, and it is enough.
I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do. You may want to put it on repeat and let the comfort sink it. Then share your thoughts and your favorite worship song in the comments and tune in tomorrow for another song!
Good Good Father
Oh, I've heard a thousand stories
Of what they think You're like.
But I've heard the tender whisper
Of love in the dead of night.
And You tell me that You're pleased
And that I'm never alone.
You're a good, good Father.
It's who You are, it's who You are, it's who You are.
I've struggled the past couple of days with a topic to blog on, and worship songs kept coming to my mind. I went back and forth, wondering how I could possibly write a full-length blog post on a song (because first, how do I choose a song from all the amazing ones, and second, how do I write something interesting enough for a blog about a song). But I eventually decided to do a week of worship songs. I'll pick a few worship songs--some super popular, some not so well known--and add a few of my thoughts. Then I'll post one every day for a week. Once you've read the post, let me know your favorite worship songs in the comments (if you don't have a Blogger account and want to comment on Facebook or Google+ or instagram, that's fine) so that we can all build our worship song libraries, if you will.
Before I get into today's song, I want to discuss why I am excited about doing this Week of Worship. You see, we were created with a purpose: to worship and glorify God. Of course, worship takes many forms, including worship music, prayer, Scripture reading, preaching, and even godly fellowship. But music is powerful, and it can "hit the spot" emotionally. I feel like spoken words get stuck being analyzed in my head while music lyrics dive straight for my heart. That's why I try to fill my head and heart with music that glorifies God.
***[Disclaimer: Don't get me wrong, I like a good Taylor Swift or One Direction song, and there is certainly nothing inherently wrong with Ed Sheeran or Meghan Trainor. But I think it's important to know a lot of worship songs too.]***
I hope you enjoy listening to old and new worship songs alike, and again, comment with your favorites. Maybe I'll do this again and include some of them, but I really want to have a good repertoire of worship songs to listen to.
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It Is Well
You're probably familiar with the hymn "It Is Well" by Horatio Spafford. It's a great hymn, and the story behind it is phenomenal. If you haven't heard it, look it up.
I love the hymn, and I also love modern re-imagining of hymns, so when I heard Bethel Music's rendition, I fell in love. It's a quiet but powerful song, and it repeats "It is well" over and over until we cannot help but feel that it is indeed well.
As you listen, I encourage you to ask yourself, "Is it well with me?" For those in Christ, the beginning is redeemed, the end is guaranteed, and the in-between is to be good. But sometimes it does not feel good. Sometimes storms come and shake us to the core. But when those storms come, what will we find? Will we find that, no matter what, through it all, we can keep our eyes and our trust in Jesus? Or will we find fear?
Only when we keep our focus on Jesus can we truly say that it is well with my soul.
Listen to this incredible song, let me know what you think, and add your favorite worship song in the comments!
Grander earth has quaked before
Moved by the sound of His voice
Seas that are shaken and stirred
Can be calmed and broken for my regard
Through it all, through it all
My eyes are on You
Through it all, through it all
It is well
Through it all, through it all
My eyes are on You
It is well with me
Far be it from me to not believe
Even when my eyes can't see
And this mountain that's in front of me
Will be thrown into the midst of the sea
Through it all, through it all
My eyes are on You
Through it all, through it all
It is well
So let go my soul and trust in Him
The waves and wind still know His name [repeat last line during 3rd run][x3]
It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul[repeat 3x]
It is well it is well with my soul [x3]
Through it all, through it all
My eyes are on You Lord
Through it all, through it all
It is well with me.[x2]
If your friends came up to you and asked if they could go through your closet, would you let them? What if they asked to scroll through your phone's camera roll? How about your text messages? Would you let them?
Imagine further that you would have to stand there, watching their reactions, but with no ability to make excuses or filter anything out, such as deleting an awkward selfie or tossing out some old sweater or erasing a conversation you're ashamed of. You can only watch as your friends go through your things and laugh or scoff as they go. Would you let them?
Perhaps your things are squeaky clean. Perhaps the only picture on your phone is of a plant that you want to identify. Perhaps your closet is in order. Perhaps you only text a couple of people and you have nothing to embarrass you. If so, good for you. Externally, your life is clean.
But what if someone came and asked to look into your heart, to see your darkest thoughts and wildest dreams, to hear your inward conversations and the silent remarks you make, to feel your frustration and emotions? Could you honestly open your heart and welcome someone else in without the slightest fear that he would find something you're ashamed of?
I know I couldn't. I keep things to myself for a reason: I don't want anyone else to know. Isn't that the point of a secret?
Granted, not all secrets are bad; but if someone broadcast what you thought to the world, would you want to dig a deep hole and hide in it? Could you speak aloud every thought you had while lying in bed before going to sleep and feel no shame? Could someone read your thoughts while you drive in bad traffic and keep their faith in humanity?
If you are feeling a little uncomfortable, good. I can't think of a sane person who would want any of that. I certainly don't want anyone to know what I'm thinking. If you hear of someone with mind-reading powers, please let me know so I can move to the moon.
I'm sure King David didn't want anyone to read his mind either. I mean, if you look at what he did outwardly (and some of it was pretty bad stuff), his inward thoughts must be cringe-worthy. But here's what he prayed:
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24 NIV)
David is letting God in, to do exactly what I just admitted would be difficult and terrifying. To say what David said is insanely courageous. To let someone know your deepest meditations--and not only that, to test the very core of who you are--is a bold action. But David goes a step further: He asks God to find the wickedness in his heart and show him how to follow God.
His desire for a pure heart is repeated in Psalm 51:10 (ESV):
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
You see, David knew that God already knew his thoughts. God created him. He already knew all David's secrets.
For [God] knows the secrets of the heart. (Psalm 44:21b ESV)
I could keep citing verses, but you get the idea. God already knows what is going on in your heart. Whether or not you invite Him in to scroll through the news feed of your mind, He has already seen it all.
So if God has seen David's heart, why was it so bold of David to ask God to search him?
David wasn't merely asking God to see him. He was asking God to search him, test him, and know him. This is so much more than just seeing. When God searched David, He dug things out of David's heart to show David. His searching helped David to discern his own heart.
We are often challenged to search our hearts, but let's face it: sometimes we can't find everything. You may try to find out what your true motive for doing something is or why you're feeling down for no apparent reason, but sometimes even our own hearts elude us. Most of the time, however, we don't find because we don't want to. We want that dark thought hidden where even we can't find it.
But God can. If you ask Him to search you, be aware that He will. And He might find some things you aren't comfortable with. In fact, He may find things you never admitted to yourself.
It won't be easy, or fun, or pleasant. If our hearts were holy, it wouldn't be a problem. The problem is that our hearts are wicked above all else. So yeah, God is going to find a lot of junk in them.
But you can be assured that He will not simply pull out all of your junk and then sit back and scorn you. If you seek His help, He will lead you "in the way everlasting" and teach you to be holy. He will create a clean and pure heart in you that desires to follow Him.
Will you be perfect? Absolutely not. But won't it be worth it to let Someone in on your deepest secrets who won't ridicule you but will instead cleanse your heart and make it new?
