Gratitude: A Call to Worship

Gratitude: A Call to Worship

by | Aug 8, 2024 | Kingdom Finance, Kingdom Principles, The Pattern

The American essayist and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, once gave the following advice: “Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”

In Psalm 23 David makes it clear that even though we may walk through the valley of the shadow of death we need not fear – in all our trials and tribulations Jesus remains our friend.

In the valley low, and on the mountain top – through oceans deep and rivers wide – God remains faithful. He is God in the good times and in the bad times.

Romans 5:1-5: teaches us that even in the storm God is faithful. He is always busy molding us, shaping us – in every situation He is with us. In the good times and the bad times He is faithful, and therefore in both the good times and the bad times we can praise Him for His goodness and His love.

The fact of the matter is that some days are better than others, but every day can be the best of your life when you adopt an attitude of gratitude.

As Christians we realize that through the Spirit of Adoption we have become sons and daughters of the Most High God. We are no longer enslaved by the bondage of fear and sin – but crying ‘Abba Father’. We are justified by faith and at peace with God through Christ. Through Jesus, also, we have access, by faith, to His grace – the marvelous, amazing Grace of God in which we stand, alive and rejoicing, in the hope of glory of God.

We are blessed and highly favored. We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. He is our deliverer. He is our healer. He is the provider.

In Psalm 103 David declares aloud: Bless the Lord, O my soul.

The word used for soul is the Hebrew ‘nephesh’ which does not just refer to our conventional understanding of a ‘soul’ as some sort of component of being, but rather a word that encapsulates all of his life – consciousness and the whole of life itself.

He is, in essence, saying: Let others praise you with their tongues – with their words – but as for me… Everything I am, all of me will honour you. All that is withing me – physically, emotionally and intellectually – will praise you, glorify you, magnify, bless and exalt you Lord – with everything I have – every faculty and resource I have to my disposal.

In verse 2 David repeats this phrase. Bless the Lord, O my soul!

As a guitarist I have to often tune my instrument before playing. The tuning peg needs to be turned until it is in tune. Often it has to be turned more than once.

David repeats this phrase on purpose. Deliberately and with good reason. It is not vain repetition – how can it be when your pen is guided by the Spirit of God?

David is thirsty. He is hungry. He is seeking the face of God – ardently and in all earnestness. With the repetition of these words he is stirring up a chorus within himself – a chorus in which all his faculties, emotions and capacities are joined in harmonious rapture.

The prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon, notes the following in his beautiful exposition of this psalm: These first verses are a tuning of the harp, a screwing up of the loosened strings, that not one note may fail in the sacred harmony.

David’s repetition is deliberate – for emphasis. Our praise must never be half-hearted. Our thanksgiving must always be intentional. Although our praise is often spontaneous and emotional, it must also be intentional, and to a degree rational.

Psalm 103:2 encourages us to not forget His benefits. More than wealth or prosperity, God gives His children TRUE benefits.

The theologian, VanGemeren said: Praise is the response of awe for God, while reflecting on what the Lord has done for the people of God – throughout the history of redemption, for creation at large, for the community and for oneself.

If praise is a response to the awe of God, and David is calling his whole soul – all he is – to bless the Lord, it means that our thanksgiving is never just in word but also in deed. Our praise and thanksgiving becomes something tangible.

As author Amy Leigh Mercree said: Thanksgiving is a joyous invitation to shower the world with love and gratitude.

The vanGemeren quote expresses this as well – our praise is not just about what God has done for the individual, but extends outwards.

And as David is led in writing the Psalm, his invitation to praise, starting with himself – the stirring up of his heart and soul – extends outwards to eventually include all of creation. All the earth and even the host of heaven is invited to bless the Lord.

All of creation. All of Heaven and Earth is invited to take their place in the sacred symphony of praise.

In Psalm 103:6 we see that God’s heart beats for the oppressed, the poor – the broken, lost and in need. God’s heart beats for the sinner, outcast and orphan. From reading the Gospels and about the Apostles, we see how God wants to use us as His hands and feet. We are to advocate for and actively pursue and effect justice for the oppressed, the weak and weary, the burdened. and heavy laden – we are called to make a difference. As the light of God’s love becomes alive in us we are to become a light – a beacon of hope – for those still in darkness.

The Psalms often make mention of an offering of thanks, or a sacrifice of thanksgiving. This was always a physical offering. I would argue that all our offerings, all of our praise and thanksgiving, are to be expressed physically.

We have so much to be grateful for today. He has saved us from death itself. He has paid for our healing and restoration. He gives us joy and peace – the kind that surpasses understanding. His grace carries us. His love enfolds us. His goodness and mercy follows us. He is our Shepherd and we shall not want. He is the Good Father who cares for His children. If His eye is on the Sparrow, surely He watches over you and me as well.

Let us stir up our souls to worship God today – in Spirit and in Truth. Let us call ourselves to worship and bless the Lord with more than just words.

This is the invitation.

Someone out there needs Jesus today.

This is the invitation, an invitation to shower the world with love and gratitude.

An invitation to bless the Lord by doing something.

To bring a physical, tangible offering to the Lord, as a living sacrifice to Him (Romans 12:1-2).

What is your sacrifice of praise today?

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Praise: Sometimes It’s A Sacrifice

Praise: Sometimes It’s A Sacrifice

by | Apr 25, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

I’ll praise when outnumbered
Praise when surrounded
‘Cause praise is the water
My enemies drown in”

Praise, Elevation Worship

“15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

Hebrews 13:15-16: NIV

It used to be, in the Old Testament, that a sacrifice would inevitably cost something its life.

The first thing that comes to mind is the two Shofars sitting in my living room. I have one made from a Sabel horn, and another, made by a dear friend who has since passed on to be with the Lord, made from the horn of a seemingly large Kudu.

These are instruments of praise and warfare.

In Ancient times these horns would serve to sound a warning or signal an attack.

As a ritual instrument the Hebrew peoples used it to announce the New Moon, sound the Sabbath and celebrate the anointing of a king, It was a call to worship and rejoicing.

At Rosh Hashana every year the Shofar is sounded to call the Jewish people to spiritual reawakening and revival.

It is a powerful instrument with some very powerful connotations attached to it.

At the Sinai Revelation in Exodus 19 we read that the coming of the Lord was accompanied by thunder, lightning, fire and smoke – but also the loud blast of a trumpet that made the people tremble.

The Psalmist writes that God is enthroned, triumphantly, amidst the loud shouts of His people and the blasting of the trumpets. (Psalm 47).

And the trumpet – made from the horn of a ram – is the product of sacrifice.

A life was given for the worship to sound.

The Sacrifice of Jesus upon the Cross, much like the blowing of the shofar, is a call to worship.

We are called to worship Christ, not just by paying lip service, but by living a life worthy of the one He gave.

We are called to follow in kind by laying our lives down upon the altar of His love.

One of the definitions of sacrifice is to give up something valued for other considerations. We are called to give up the things we value and value Him above all else – give what He considers valuable priority in our lives.

This is what true worship is – it’s not a song or a reading on a Sunday morning – it goes far beyond. It is a lifestyle.

We have often made very arbitrary distinctions between praise and worship – but in a lot of cases they are the exact same thing. Praise is an expression of admiration, reverence, respect and gratitude towards another.

When the Shofar sounds it often sounds like crying or wailing.

Even in our darkest days we are called to worship. God is worthy of our praise and our adoration no matter what it is we are going through. And often this is where praise is a sacrifice.

When we worship God in our crying and our wailing – when in sorrow we turn to song instead of despondency.

We are often surrounded by situations and circumstances. We often feel outnumbered – overwhelmed – but in all these things, if we can adopt a posture of praise, we will see Jesus come in our situation.

I have suffered from clinical depression for a very long time, and on my bad days – when I don’t even feel like getting out of bed – the best thing I can do is grab my guitar and sing my love to the Lord. The best thing I can do is get up and go and love my neighbour – as the author of Hebrews says – to do good and share with others.

And when we do this, when we carry the light of our salvation out to others, we see the light of Christ shine all the brighter in our own lives.

The depression lifts. The darkness dissipates.

And this often feels like a sacrifice. What the carnal mind and body wants in that moment is a pity party. I want to wallow in it. I want to hide in my cave. I want to bewail my situation.

The last thing on my mind when something horrible happens is to praise God, much less to go do good to others.

But when we adopt the posture of praise even in our darkest days and make this sacrifice of praise we will see God enthroned amidst the loud shouts of our hearts and the sounding of the trumpets.

When we adopt this posture of perpetual praise we will see God enthroned amidst the loud shouts of our hearts and the sounding of the trumpets – and your bad days will seem less and less – as your focus shifts from staring into the abyss towards looking up towards and beholding the beauty of His grace.

God is worthy of our adoration and worship no matter how we are feeling – and when we make the sacrifice of praise, even in the midst of our misery, we will see God turning graves into gardens as He revives, reawakens and restores us.

Prayer: Lord, help me praise You in the storm today. Give me the wisdom to set my eyes upon You. Let me not look to the left, nor to the right. Do not let my feelings come between us, oh Lord, for You are worth more than my feelings – You deserve my praise and my love on my good days and my worst days. You deserve all of me – whether on the mountain or in the valley. Let me rejoice in hope even when I feel hopeless. Open the eyes of my heart Lord and help me see that there is no shadow of turning with You – you are unchanging and eternal – and though my feelings might be fickle, Your promises are trusted and true. You have promised to never leave me nor forsake me. Let me dwell in the house of the Lord forever, postured to praise, no matter what my situation might be – be enthroned in my life. In the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

Lion: Let The Lion Roar

Lion: Let The Lion Roar

by | Feb 25, 2024 | Devotionals, Worship Reflections

“Hail, hail Lion of JudahLet the Lion roar“

Lion, Elevation Worship

“Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.“

Psalm 68:1, KJV

I have been rereading the book of First Samuel, and a striking passage is found at the very start when Hannah prays her prayer of thanksgiving.

1 Samuel 2:1: And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.

Earlier we read that she was one of the two women Elkanah had married – her sister-wife being Peninnah. We find out in chapter 1 that Hannah was barren and Peninnah had given her husband children – yet Elkanah loved Hannah more. His love for Hannah made Peninnah jealous and she was mean to and constantly provoked Hannah – taunting her, embarrassing her… To the point where Hannah would not even eat at Shiloh.

Hannah had an enemy – taunting her, berating her, provoking her, humiliating her.

An enemy that told her at every occasion that she was not good enough.

But God had plans for Hannah – and for all of Israel and the world through her.

You have an enemy today – an enemy that taunts and berates, provokes and humiliates – an enemy that tries to break you down and tell you that you are not good enough.

This might be a person, a situation, a mindset or even a condition of the heart.

But God has a plan for you.

The Psalmist writes in Psalm 68:1-4:

Let God arise,
Let His enemies be scattered;
Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.
As smoke is driven away,
So drive them away;
As wax melts before the fire,
So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
But let the righteous be glad;
Let them rejoice before God;
Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.

St. Augustine, writing about Jesus, risen and exalted, says the following: “He endured death as a lamb; he devoured it as a lion.”

I want to take this a step further. Not only did Jesus endure death – for the Bible teaches us that He knows our weakness, He understands our trials and our tribulations (Hebrews 4) – and in doing so, in putting on flesh and enduring our humanity – He devoured not only death, but also our weakness, our frailty, our poverty, our affliction, our suffering – the Lion roared on the Cross that day saying “IT IS DONE!”.

The Lion roared on the Cross that day and the curtain that separated us from the presence of the Almighty tore. The death warrant the enemy had been holding over your head tore…

The Lion roared on the Cross that day and His enemies were scattered.

There is a lot of meaning in names. We often call Jesus the Lion of Judah.

The name ‘Judah’ is translated as meaning ‘praise’ or ‘praised’ (Genesis 29:31-35).

Jesus is the Lion of our praise. Not only is He worthy of our praise – but He is also the origin of our praise.

He is our praise. He is our power. He is our peace. He is our provision. He is our victory.

When the Lion roars the valleys are raised up and the mountains are made low. When the Lion roars our enemies are scattered.

When the Lion roars we can say like Hannah did – My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.

When the Lion roars His people roar with praise.

Prayer: Lord, come and roar in my life today. Let the enemies of self-doubt and insecurity scatter. Let the enemies of pride and arrogance scatter. Let the enemies of fear and depression scatter. (I encourage you to name the thing that is bothering you today) – Lord, let it scatter! Let my enemies be driven away like smoke. Lord, come roar in my life today. I declare that You are my provision. I declare that You are my healing. I declare that You are my restoration. I declare that You are my victory. Come and roar in my life today and I will roar with praise. I will testify, Lord of Your goodness and grace. In Jesus name. Amen!