Worship Devotional XII
Originally posted to the Facebook group on 2/13/2020.
Worship Devotional
(Devotion: ~10 min. to read through
Songs: ~20 min. to listen through
Scripture references (10): ~25 min. to read through)
Hey everyone! This week is about God's love! It's a timely theme because Valentine's Day is this week, although we know that every day of every week is a good time to focus on God's love, especially since—as we read in Psalm 63:3—it is better than life itself.
Psalm 63:3-5:
"My lips will glorify You because Your faithful love is better than life. So I will praise You as long as I live; at Your name, I will lift up my hands. You satisfy me as with rich food; my mouth will praise You with joyful lips."
The God we believe in and worship is the only true and living God. He is holy and eternal, the Creator and Judge of all things. He is perfectly righteous and just and good in all His ways. True righteousness, justice, and goodness are defined by Him alone. Though we were made in His image, we went astray and turned aside to our own sinful ways (Romans 3:23). The whole world is guilty of sin against a holy, just, and sovereign God, and so we deserve only death.
Romans 5:8:
"But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!"
Because of His love, God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to bear our sins for us on the cross so we might be saved through Him from the wrath and punishment we deserve (Jn 3:16, Rm 5:5-11)! He watches over us (Ps 33:18), intercedes for us (Rm 8:26-27, Hb 7:25), rescues and delivers us (Ps 91:14-16), sets us free from sin and the fear of death (Gal 5:1, Heb 2:14-15), and calls us His own children who share the eternal inheritance of His Son (1 Jn 3:1, Rm 8:16-17)—all because He who is holy and righteous and just is also deeply in love with His people. His love has made a way for us to have eternal life!
Here are the songs:
1) O The Deep Deep Love Of Jesus
This late 1800s hymn—written by Samuel Trevor Francis and composed by Thomas John WIlliams—is a declaration of the depths of God's love. It is based on the prayer of the apostle Paul in Ephesians 3—that we would comprehend with all the saints the length and width and height and depth of God's love. When the writer, Samuel Trevor Francis, was young, he was walking along a bridge in London one day contemplating suicide. God met him there and spoke to him, revealing His love and renewing the young man's faith. When life is hard and painful, and maybe even doesn't seem to be worth living anymore, God's love is able to meet us and carry us through. His love is deeper than our pain or anything we face. We can hold onto, hope in, and rely on His love, because it is forever faithful and true.
2) How Deep The Father's Love For Us by Stuart Townend
This modern hymn by Stuart Townend is also about the depth of God's love, particularly as it is revealed through the cross of Christ. The Father sent His Son to die for us and save us from our sins. How deeply He must love us to sacrifice His only Son, to punish Him in our place, and even to have to turn His face away as the righteous Son became sin for us! Now we can boast only in the death and resurrection of Jesus, for we have been given eternal life and hope and salvation even though we don't deserve it. Our heavenly Father loves us that much!
When we believe in Jesus, we are rescued from slavery to sin and to the fear of death. We are instead brought into God's house as His children (see Gal 4:1-7).
Psalm 32:7:
"You are my hiding place; You protect me from trouble. You surround me with joyful shouts of deliverance."
Romans 8:14-17:
"All those led by God's Spirit are God's sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father!' The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God's children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him."
1 John 4:18-19:
"There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because He first loved us."
4) Nothing Ever (Could Separate Us) by Citizen Way
This song is a joyful declaration of the truth that there is absolutely nothing that can separate from God's love now that we have been made His.
Romans 8:38-39:
"For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!"
I can't give a complete list of all the Scriptures that talk about God's love, because that would pretty much be the whole Bible! But here are some of the main ones that go with the songs. Please read them and fill Your mind and heart with God's word as You meditate on His love. In preparing our hearts with His word, we are strengthened and enabled to worship Him in spirit and truth as we sing together.
Psalm 32, 33:18-22, 63:1-3
John 3:16-18
Romans 5-8 (esp. 8:12-17 & 31-39)
Ephesians 3:14-21
Hebrews 2:14-15, 7:22-25
1 John 3:1, 4:7-19
Whatever you are going through this week, remember that you can find rest, peace, strength, and purpose in God's great, unfailing, everlasting love. I look forward to singing and praising Him with you on Sunday!