Worship Devotional XLI
Originally posted to the Facebook group on 9/25/2020.
Worship Devotional for 9/27/20
This week we are continuing the theme of the goodness of God. We are focusing more this time on how God is good in the midst of trying circumstances, hardships and struggles, and the fiery testing of our faith. Consider Job, a man who was known to be righteous before God. He had many blessings from the Lord. One day everything he had was taken from him, including the lives of his own children. I don't know what hardships you may be going through, but I bet it doesn't come anywhere close to this level of suffering. Can any of us honestly say that we wouldn't sin if this happened? I think our response would look quite different from Job's in Job 1:21. So how did Job respond?
"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will leave this life. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Praise the name of Yahweh.”
Job knew that God was still good and sovereign and worthy to be praised even in the midst of total devastation. We can all learn from this man of integrity — whatever we go through, God is good and worthy of our praise and worship.
Songs:
1) God Is Good by Dustin Kensrue
"God is good, all of the time; all of the time, God is good." This song takes this well known saying and puts in the context of suffering and hardship. Typically it is in those difficult times that we most need to be reminded of God's goodness. Even when it seems the answer is no, or when it feels like God has turned away from us or like He pays no attention to our prayers, we can still know that He is good. We have assurance of this in Christ and in the gospel. We must hold on to that hope when things are hard. Just like the man in Mark 9:24, we cry out to God that even though we believe in the gospel of truth, He would help us when things get difficult to believe that He is still good.
2) Blessed Be Your Name by Matt Redman
When he lost everything, Job still chose to worship God and bless His name. Whether we have abundance or need, feel joy or sorrow, or experience good times or adversity, may our hearts choose to praise God anyway and to bless His holy name. The Lord gives and He takes away. May He be praised in any and all circumstances and get all the glory in our lives, no matter what.
3) God Is Always Good by Covenant Worship
There never has been and never will be a time when God is not good. That's why our hope remains true, though the world may come against us in any way it can, or though the Devil himself seeks to destroy us. We have declared that we will praise God and sing of His goodness no matter what. "What I sing on the mountain, I'll sing in the valley" — What we sing in the good and joyful times, we will also sing in the hard and trying times. May our hearts hold fast to the truth that God is always good.
4) Forever Reign by Jason Ingram
"Always good" cannot be said of anything other than God. And when we consider His holiness, can it be said that anything else is good at all? What we consider good is only actually good if it comes from God. He is the source of all that is truly good. So why do we run after things that bring harm to ourselves and others? Why do our hearts wander after things that only fail and disappoint and hurt us? As we sing this song, let us be praying in our hearts that God would make the words true. That the riches of His love would actually be enough for us. That our hearts would indeed sing no other name but the name of Jesus. He alone satisfies. He alone is worthy of praise, always. He alone is good.
Scriptures:
Job 1:20-22
Psalms 23, 88
Mark 9:23-24, 10:18
2 Corinthians 1:20
James 1:2-18, 5:7-11