Today we continue our series entitled, “Back to the Bible,” with Part 53. We have been looking at Psalm 119. Let’s continue to walk through this amazing psalm.
David said:
The Passion Bible Translation
(v.172) Your wonderful words will become my song of worship, for everything you’ve commanded is perfect and true.
So what does this mean to you today? Yesterday we talked about praise. Today we will talk about worship!
1. Praise and worship are not the same thing.
a) You can (and should) praise God for what He has done. Yesterday we learned that we can (and should) praise God for what He has taught us. But when you worship, you are not thankful to God for His actions, you are simply worshipping His person. You praise God for what He has done. You worship God simply for WHO He is.
b) When you sing songs of praises, you are singing ABOUT God. When you sing songs of worship, you are singing TO God! You are ministering to Him and worshipping Him just for being God!
c) When you worship it is not about asking God for anything. Worship is about getting lost in God’s presence. Worship is about getting a foretaste of heaven. Worship is about honoring, reverencing and enjoying God simply for WHO He is.
d) How do you know when you have entered into true and pure worship? Here’s my answer: when you are no longer conscious of yourself or what you were thinking about (cares, concerns, what you need to do later, etc.) before you started worshipping. Once you cross that threshold you get to the place where the supernatural can be released in your life.
e) Pure worship ushers you into presence of the Lord. Once you are in His presence, you are quick to repent, you are in position to receive revelation, and you get to commune with God. It is a special moment between the Creator and His creation.
2. Work and worship are both required in the life of the believer.
a) You can’t always be lost in worship, because you won’t get anything done. But conversely, you can’t always be focused on working, because you will get tired and burned-out. I will use Mary and Martha as an example of this. One day, while Jesus was in Bethany, Martha invited Him into her home. She quickly began working, getting everything ready and serving Jesus and His team. While this was going on, Jesus was teaching. This was a key moment. The Son of God was in Martha’s home, releasing divine revelation from heaven. What was Martha doing? She was missing out on what Jesus was saying, because she was too busy working in the kitchen. All-the-while, Martha’s sister, Mary, was sitting at the feet of Jesus, in a position of worship, receiving from the Lord. Martha got upset with Mary for worshipping while she was working. Martha was even bold enough to ask Jesus to tell her sister to ‘get her lazy butt up’ to help her. Jesus explained to Martha that she was troubled by working when she should have been worshipping. Mary was doing the right thing.
b) Work and worship are both necessary, but you must discern the proper timing for each.
c) When Jesus is speaking, you should be listening, not so busy doing work FOR God that you fail to hear FROM God.
d) A life of constant work without a proper diet of worship will strip you of your joy and peace, leaving you with nothing but frustration and aggravation. This is why so many people who become “key personnel” in a church wind up getting bitter and dogmatic over the years. They are working for God, but they are not taking the time to properly worship at His feet. You must remember who God is. You must spend time in His presence. If you do, you will be continually renewed, restored, rejuvenated and revived, so you don’t get burned-out on the road to your destiny.
e) David tells us that God’s Word can actually become our song of worship. The more you know the Word of God, the closer you will get to the God of the Word, and the better positioned you will be give Him pure worship!
Closing Confession:
Father, this is a season of expectation for me. And while I am expecting You to release Your best in my life, while I am committed to expanding by capacity to believe you and to releasing my faith daily, I am also committed to spending time in worship. When I worship I am not asking You for anything. When I worship I am not releasing my faith for this or that. When I worship I get lost in Your presence. When I give You pure worship, I forget about myself and my challenges, I concentrate on You, and You translate me into Your presence. My worship helps me to get a foretaste of heaven. And when I come out of that moment, I am renewed, restored, rejuvenated, revived and ready to face whatever comes my way. I praise You for what You have done. I worship You simply for WHO YOU ARE! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
