Worship Devotional XXIII
Originally posted to the Facebook group on 5/1/2020.
Worship Devotional for 5/3/20
Greetings, church! For the past several weeks we have been singing about the wonderful and astounding works of our God. He has made a way for guilty sinners to be saved from the wrathful punishment they deserve, even unto eternal life in the presence of the God who is holy and righteous and just, all by His grace and unfailing love. He sent His righteous Servant to suffer in our place. He sent the only One who could live a perfect life and become the ultimate sacrifice to atone for our sins. He sent the One who would destroy the devil and his works at last, proclaiming freedom and victory for those who look to Him in faith. And when the work of suffering was finished, and the price paid in full by His blood shed on the cross, God raised up this Messiah, promised since the beginnings of history, defeating death once and for all and offering eternal life to those who believe in Him. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, Son of Man and Son of God, seated at the right hand of God's throne, the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. His name is exalted above all other names, and there is no other name by which we can be saved. That is what we are proclaiming, declaring, praising, and rejoicing in with our singing for the next few weeks: the name of Jesus Christ.
Acts 4:12:
"There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people, and we must be saved by it."
Here are this week's songs:
1) Jesus Son Of God by Chris Tomlin
We have many great and wonderful blessings which the Lord has freely given to us by His grace. However, we must not allow ourselves to become complacent, shifting our attention onto the things we have rather than the One who gave them to us. When we do this, we can deceive ourselves into thinking that everything is just fine while our hearts begin to breed self-seeking motives. We become focused on the gifts rather than the Giver, and subtly but surely we start to desire more and more for ourselves, which gives way to pride. We must let all of the good things God gives us point and lead us to Him. Even when it comes to the great and amazing gifts of salvation, forgiveness, and redemption and the awesome promises and benefits that accompany faith in Jesus, we must remember that He is the only One who deserves glory and honor and praise and blessing. As we rejoice and praise the name of Jesus for what He has done for us, let us also join the prayer of this song: that His name would be lifted high in our hearts above everything else.
2) Holy And Anointed One by John Barnett
This song slows things down a bit and allows us to quietly praise the holy, anointed, risen, and exalted One. His name is sweet to our lips as we speak and sing and declare His praise. His Spirit is refreshing, renewing, and cleansing to our souls like water. His word lights up the path before us, revealing His truth and love and giving us direction and purpose. My love for Him is weak and prone to failure, as the affections of my wayward heart are often enticed by lesser things. But His love is stronger than anything that might threaten to draw me away from Him, and He continually calls me to back into His presence where I am changed and renewed. Therefore, I will praise His name and declare my love for Him. Though I may be weak, I will trust in and hold onto His mighty name, where I find refuge, strength, and renewal.
Proverbs 18:10:
"The name of Yahweh is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are protected."
3) Forever Reign by Jason Ingram
He is everything that we could ever need and more. Nothing compares to His love. He is the One who reigns on high forever and ever. My our hearts run to Him for refuge, for He alone satisfies. May our hearts sing no other name but the name of Jesus.
Psalm 63:3:
"My lips will glorify You because Your faithful love is better than life."
4) Jesus Is The Lord by James Mark Gulley
Philippians 2:8-11:
"He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death — even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow — of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth — and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
He is worthy of our worship and praise. Let us praise His name with all our hearts — indeed, with all that we are.
Scripture references for this week's set:
Psalm 22:27-31, 119:105
Proverbs 18:10
John 1 (esp. vv. 14-18), 7:37-39, 8:12 & 58
Acts 4:8-12
1 Corinthians 15:54-57
Ephesians 6:23-24
Philippians 2:5-11
Colossians 1:15-23
Hebrews 12:1-2, 13:8
Revelation 1 (esp. vv. 4-8), 5, 19:11-16, 22:17
As we endure the hardships and difficulties of these times, let us always remember the One who is on the throne and in whom is all our hope. He is in control and He is working in all things for His glory. As believers in Him, though we may struggle and suffer for a short while in this life, we ultimately have victory and glory and everlasting joy to look forward to. Keep your eyes on Jesus Christ our Lord.
Psalm 2:11-12:
"Serve the Lord with reverential awe and rejoice with trembling. Pay homage to the Son or He will be angry and you will perish in your rebellion, for His anger may ignite at any moment. All those who take refuge in Him are happy."
Hebrews 12:1-2:
"Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside the weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God's throne."