Let the Worship Rise

"My heart is steadfast, O God! I will sing and make melody with all my being! Awake, o harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations."
(Psalm 108: 1-3)

I love that Psalm 108 shows how excited King David is about God. Look at the (!!) and that he wants to tell the world with his thanks to God. There are times when I am reading through the Psalms and my heart jumps because it amazes me that someone could love God so much. (So much that they wouldn't shut up. Hah! There are 150 Psalms!!)

I learned a new worship song recently. Hallelujah, by Lenny Leblanc. We sang it a lot during the conference in Germany. I'd never heard it, I couldn't find it, and now that I have, I haven't stopped listening to it. I love the words in the song.



"Let the worship rise from deep within, the sanctuary sing, Hallelujah. Hear the praises from the grateful ones, rescued from the flames. The song of those unchained, for the glory of your name." Hallelujah means PRAISE YAHWEH. I have learned a new spirit of praise and worship in my last year of existence. Paul reminds us over and over in his letters that we are to rejoice in all circumstances. He talks a lot about his sufferings and his obstacles in getting the gospel to the Gentiles. And still he praised God for the life set before him.

And when I think about it. I sit back and think about Jesus dying just to save me. Me. A nothing. A human. One human. And to imagine the insult, the pain, the agony...that he felt when he was mocked, beaten, and crucified--all for me. I have nothing else to say, but Hallelujah.

Praise God for the death He died so that I could have mine.

&& What am I doing with it? If I am not spending it in worship and praise to glorify His name, His kingdom, then to me, it would seem pretty pointless. I recently asked some of my students the question, "What is our purpose in life?" I got answers like, "To enjoy life. To find a purpose. To find meaning. To set goals." Those are the kinds of answers I got. No one had anything more concrete. I'm not sure whether I wanted to laugh, stick my tongue out and yell, "Suckkkerrr. I know mine!" Or feel totally heartbroken and cry and yell, "HOW CAN YOU NOT SEE OUR PURPOSE!?"

I hope that in everything I do, the motives come from a pure heart and clear intentions on the building up of God's kingdom. I want people to see Christ in His creation, in me, in my actions, in my aspirations, in my words, in everything. I was rescued from a life of meaninless, aimless wandering, uncertainty.

But I will sing forever, Hallelujah. Because my God loved me enough. Because my Jesus found me worthy. And because the Spirit works in the world around me to remind me constantly of God's promises.

What is your purpose in life? In what ways can you worship God in your daily life?? How are you reminded of His love? Your child's face? A song on the radio? A book? A movie? A loyal pet? A moving story?