Worship Devotional XLVII
Originally posted to the Facebook group on 11/7/2020.
Worship Devotional for 11/8/20
When God formed us from dust and breathed life into our nostrils and we became living beings, we began to work and do things and accomplish and complete tasks. People do many different things. Some things are impressive while others are repulsive; some things help while others hurt; some things create and build up while others tear down and destroy; some things last for a long time while others fade away almost immediately. The world we live in is full of so many different things that people are doing and working on and creating and causing that it is often difficult to keep up with what's going on. And yet we are constantly bombarded with and distracted by images and sounds and words, all coming from the world telling us to look at what people are doing. The message constantly in our faces is to set our eyes and minds and hearts on the world and all its chaos and empty promises and short-lived pleasures. These things may feel good for a short while, but they never satisfy. They don't last forever. It all ends in death.
We, however, have a hope that death can't touch. This is because God Himself has made a way for us to be saved from our sin and the brokenness and emptiness of this world, so that we may become new in Him and have eternal life. This is the glorious truth of the gospel. Jesus Christ died on the cross, suffering the punishment under the wrath of God that we deserved, so that the price for our sins would be paid in full. Then God raised Him up from the dead after three days so that He would live and reign forever in glory, and those He saved would live and reign with Him. Death has been defeated for those who believe, for we are saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. This is what God has done.
We may live in a world where the emphasis is to look at and praise the deeds of mankind, but we know that the real joy and peace and hope and knowledge and understanding comes from beholding and believing and praising the mighty deeds of God. What will stand in the end and for all eternity? What can never be shaken, satisfies our hearts forever, and is so glorious that it leaves us in such awe and wonder that we can never stop giving praise? Only the work of the Most High God. This week we are turning our focus off of the things that men do, and toward the things that God has done, is doing, and will do just as He promised. When we start looking at what really matters, we find the true joy and peace which only God can give, and our hearts quickly become filled with His praise. Look at what God has done! Tell it to the nations, proclaim the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and glorify God with all that you are! He is worthy of our praise for what He has done.
Here are this week's songs:
1) Alive & Breathing by Matt Maher
Philippians 4:4-7:
"I will exalt You, Lord, because You have lifted me up and have not allowed my enemies to triumph over me. Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me. Lord, You brought me up from Sheol; You spared me from among those going down to the Pit. Sing to Yahweh, you His faithful ones, and praise His holy name. For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor, a lifetime. Weeping may spend the night, but there is joy in the morning."
Psalm 150:6:
"Let everything that breathes praise the Lord. Hallelujah!"
Things may be hard and seem dark and hopeless at times. You may be going through something and not be sure how or even if you will make it through. But I can tell you that there is still hope. Jesus Christ still won the victory for you and me and secured hope for us who have faith. If you are still alive and still breathing, then God is still at work in your life. There is still hope. This song says that no matter what cares or worries or thoughts may be weighing on you and no matter what you are going through, God's truth and promises still stand. Joy still comes in the morning, even though the night of weeping feels long. Hope still walks with the hurting. The good news of our salvation in Jesus is still true and still good and still worth repeating until all have heard about this hope that we have. Whether you feel it or not, lift up a song and a shout of praise to God! He will carry us through it all.
Philippians 4:4-7:
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
2) Let The Nations Be Glad by Matt Boswell and Matt Papa
Ephesians 2:3-10:
"We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens, so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace through His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift — not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them."
We've been saved by God's grace and not by our works. We no longer have to strive like the rest of the world for salvation or for God's approval, which is all in vain anyway because none of us could ever earn it. God has done the work for us. Our salvation and redemption is His work. Therefore, let us praise Him and not man. Let us focus on what He has done and not the mess of things that we have done. Let us rejoice in His works and proclaim them to the nations, that many others might also come to faith and salvation and redemption in Jesus, and that they might know the truth of God and give Him the glory He deserves.
Revelation 7:9-10:
"After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were robed in white with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: 'Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!'"
3) Great Things by Phil Wickham
This song is simply a call to come and worship and praise God for what He has done. He conquered death and grave. He frees every captive and breaks chains and gives people freedom and new life and hope in His name. He faithfully fulfills all His promises. He has done great things! Let us praise Him for it with all of our hearts.
Echoing Psalm 150, this song calls for everything to praise the Lord. With all the music, in all the nations, alongside all of creation, let us praise God our Creator and Savior. For all that He has done and for the great things still to come, with all of our hearts, even in the midst of this broken generation, let us give praise and honor and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. He has given us true light and hope in a dark and dying world.
Psalm 146:
"Hallelujah! My soul, praise the Lord. I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing to my God as long as I live.
Do not trust in nobles, in man, who cannot save. When his breath leaves him, he returns to the ground; on that day his plans die.
Happy is the one whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them. He remains faithful forever, executing justice for the exploited and giving food to the hungry. The Lord frees prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord raises up those who are oppressed. The Lord loves the righteous. The Lord protects foreigners and helps the fatherless and the widow, but He frustrates the ways of the wicked.
The Lord reigns forever; Zion, your God reigns for all generations. Hallelujah!"
Scriptures:
Psalms 30, 34, 66, 67, 111, 146, 150
2 Corinthians 1:18-22
Ephesians 2
Philippians 4:4-9
Hebrews 11
1 Peter 5:6-7
Revelation 7:9-10