Luke 4:8 "It is written, Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only."
When Jesus was born, angels heralded His arrival, it was a grand, wonderful, time. There was rejoicing in heaven, on earth and all those that had believed the Word that proclaimed the coming of a savior, rejoiced and worshiped God. At Christmas, hearts are turned toward remembrance of the birth of Christ and Christians everywhere celebrate His birth, again and again each year.
Then when all the hustle and bustle of the holiday is over, nothing. Three to four months later, with the approaching of Easter, you begin once again to hear special music, people begin to worship the Lord once again as they remember His sacrifice for our sin. His atonement for our sin, making the way to the Father attainable for us. These celebrations, why, there are plays, special musical events, I am sure you have all been to them. We have special programs in church, depicting the birth, or at this season, the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. Then Easter Sunday comes. More people go to church I believe on Easter Sunday than any other day of the year. The next possible being Mothers Day. But on Easter Sunday, people flock to church, to recognize the Lord, to honor Him on this day. But the next week, the earth falls silent, once again.
There was much rejoicing when the disciples and friends of Jesus found that Jesus had risen from the grave. Just as He said he would. Great rejoicing. His Word was true then, and everything He said is true still today. So why is it we are not rejoicing, thanking Him and praising Him daily. Why is it that so many only think of Jesus at certain times of the year. I personally know a number of people that think of the Lord constantly, as you probably do, but they are few in compared to all the Christians you know. Is He being praised, is He being worshiped on a daily basis, are we too busy?
Isn’t it strange that we are never to busy to stop and remember Jesus, our Lord, when we have a need. When life throws us off balance and we seem helpless. As Christians our first thought when the enemy comes against us is to pray and ask the Lord to help us. When there is an illness, when there is a financial need, when there is depression, there is never a lack of prayer. But what reverence, what thought is given our Lord between the cradle and the cross. If we don’t need something from the Lord, where are our thoughts, where are we in Him?
At Christmas and Easter faces are radiant with God’s glory, at the recognition of the fulfillment of His promises. But those two promises are only a part of the promises He made to us in His Word. For me, one of the greatest promises He made is “I will never leave you or forsake you”.
The blood that was shed…we call on that blood daily for everything. It’s power in our life is tremendous. Our very lives survive because of that precious blood. I cannot think of the blood of Jesus covering me, healing me, raising me up to have life everlasting with the Father without my spirit leaping inside me.
This is without a doubt the hardest time of year for me as a Christian. It brings me to tears as I think of the sacrifice made for me. To think that my Lord, your Lord, came out of Glory, where beauty abounded, where He was worshiped night and day by all the saints and angels, and came to earth, a humble baby boy, born to regular folks and endured temptation and life so He would know what we would go through. Then He suffered the most agonizing death, the beating, the flogging, the mocking and then taking our sins upon Himself – the momentary rejection of His own Father, who could not look on sin. All for us. All to show us the meaning of true love. He gave all, all of Himself to make a way to His Father for us, to share His inheritance with us, to ensure us of eternal life in Him.
You say things are hard right now. You are going through so much, your spirits are so down. But you choose to worship. It is a choice you can make, no matter your circumstance. He is waiting to lift you up but the only way is through worship. Lift up your voice. Don’t wait until a special holiday or season compels you to worship. Let the Holy Spirit draw you into a closer place with the Lord, through worship. The Lord can heal your heart in worship. He will heal your body. As you take your minds off yourself and what you are going through and focus on Him, on Jesus, healing begins. Worship makes your prayers flow in an open channel to the Lord.
When I was praying about this and asking the Lord for just Him in this, only His Words, He showed me something. He showed me hearts that were like a tomb. Where the dead are buried. He said there was a lot of you that are keeping things in your hearts. Things that belong to the dead man. Hurts, rejections, disappointments, fears…. Those things that should have died with the old man when you gave your hearts to the Lord. But there they are buried deep inside. Then He showed me the stone being rolled away from the tomb, and as the Light of God’s precious Son filled that dark place those things begin to float out of the tomb (out of your heart) and were being lifted up to Him. See that is where they should have been placed long ago. The old man is buried, he is not to be resurrected ever again. The heart cannot be a tomb dedicated to the things of the old man, but it can only be a resurrected victory for the new man in Christ Jesus. The things of the old man can hinder your worship to the Lord. So it Is important that they be put at the foot of the cross and left there.
Nothing should hinder your worship to the Lord, our most High King. Everyday there should be worship and praise filling your hearts and pouring out of your lips. I feel the first thing that should come out of your mouth in the morning is worship to our Lord. Praise and thanksgiving to Jesus. Worship with songs from your heart that are new. Songs that the Holy Spirit inspires that are meant just for the ears of the Lord, from your heart to His. Then after worshiping the Lord, then and only then bring your petitions of prayer to Him. Give the Lord the glory He is due, just because He is Jesus. Just because He is God. Just because He is the Holy Spirit. The Trinity that envelopes you in Love, in health, in Him. In Luke 25:53, after the Lord had risen and was with them a few days He was taken up into heaven. And the Word says “And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.” They stayed continually….the temple is you, your heart, continually you should be praising God.
Worship Him every day. Worshiping the Lord should not be set aside for special holidays, or for Sundays only. Think on the Lord each day, giving yourself into His thoughts for your life, not yours. Let Him show you what He has planned for you, what He desires to give you. He is so worthy of all your worship.
I want you to picture that tomb, empty of all those hurtful things, and I want you to let your heart worship the Lord. I want your spirit to fill up with the love you have for the Lord and give Him all the worship He is due. I want those songs of worship that have been closed off by the dead man’s leavings, hearts that are open now, free to worship, to sing out your worship to our Lord. You see, it is so possible to have that presence, our Jesus here with us. Draw the Lords presence here with your whole heartfelt worship for Him.
(I wrote this over a year ago to share with a ladies meeting, but I never posted it. I believe the Lord was saving this for this time, this day, as hearts begin to think about His resurrection, His sacrifice for us. Determine now, this day, that you will bring a sacrifice of praise, heartfelt worship to Jesus, to our Lord, every day, not just those times of the Cradle and the Cross.)
04-01-12
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