Hello to you all!
Last night, I sat on my couch and began to read Psalm 95. I finished in a couple of minutes and looked at it for a while, trying to figure out what it was all about. I asked God to make it alive to me and give me revelation. Still nothing.... I looked up a couple of words that stuck out in my head as I listened to the words and still nothing "amazing". Then I read it again. When I finished this second reading, I reviewed the verbs used in the chapter that pertain to my abilities. My sub title for this chapter is A Call to Worship and Obedience. What IS worship and what IS obedience?? I started to just say the verbs and verb phrases. They are "come", "let us sing", "let us shout", "let us come", "let us shout", "come", "let us worship and bown down", "let us kneel", "hear His voice". I believe that God is teaching us how to be worshippers and obedient ones at that. We first must come into His presence and sing (sing outloud as in rejoicing in triumph) and shout (making a joyful noise). We must come and worship (stoop or lay prostrate) and bow down before Him. We must kneel down in reverence of Him. Lastly, we MUST hear (listen with intent to obey) His voice. This is sooo cool! God has written in His Word how He wants to be worshipped! I hope this encourages you all to press in even more into God's presence, knowing that He will delight in you worshipping Him. I'm excited to hear what God is speaking to your hearts as you read this chapter!
Andrew
Looking at all the verbs in this chapter helps in better understanding how God wants us to worship Him...
ReplyDeletePsalm 95:6 "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our Maker."
My worship to God should be uninhibited and unrestrained!
We have to listen to His voice, and take away distractions and things that may be hindering our minds from listening to God's voice..."harden not your heart."
Through everything we need to be obedient and worship God the way He has instructed us to.
The first part of this Psalm focuses on obedience in worship. God is indeed a "great God, and a great King above all gods" as well as out creator. No one is worthy of worship and praise but Him.
ReplyDeleteWhat sticks out to me most is verses 8-11. God had called Israel to worship Him and Him alone. When they were in the wilderness for 40 years (v. 8 "...the day of of temptation in the wilderness") they saw with their own eyes His miraculous provisions of manna, water, quail and everything else that they needed. They saw his works but did not know His ways (v. 9). They were definitely without excuse. God says that he was grieved with this generation, and did not know His ways, only His works. Because of this God swore that they would not enter into his rest.
That is a serious warning, and I do NOT want to be cut off from His rest, here or eternity. I want to know His ways far more than His works only, and the reward for knowing God is far worth whatever price tag is on it.
When reading this chapter, the part that stood out to me the most was verses 10-11.
ReplyDeleteIt was a warning to not be like the Israelites, when they were being led out of Egypt. It was because of their hearts, (11) God "swore" in his "wrath" that they would not enter into His rest.
Scary!!
It didn't say "Promise Land", which is what I am used to seeing and hearing, but it said "rest". When we can't learn to rejoice in the wilderness, to have faith in God, to follow after His ways with all of our heart; we cannot get to that place of rest. We just keep going and loose sight of why we are going, and end up loosing out on the promise. We never get to that point where we can rest; spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
I take that as a warning to consistently be checking my heart, and to strive to do better in getting to know God more.