The Time Is Now
Her teenage daughter has rebelled from the family values and hit the drug scene in a pretty hard way.
Reference: Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His splendour is above the earth and the heavens. (Psalm 148:13 NIV)
Explore: I was standing in church last weekend and had a look around at the congregation. While I don’t know everyone at church there were some people who caught my attention.
Rachel was sitting up the front. She’s only just given birth to a beautiful baby girl and looks exhausted.
Matt was up the front doing backing vocals. His son has been diagnosed with a debilitating illness that finds them taking regular trips to the hospital.
Jenny was greeting people at the door. Her teenage daughter has rebelled from the family values and hit the drug scene in a pretty hard way.
Barb came in late and snuck into the back row. Her elderly mother has just moved into her home as she needs round-the-clock care.
Life is not always easy, however, looking at these people in church inspired my worship. They could be the first to declare that God is not looking out for them, and yet, here they stood, singing boldly their praises to their Lord.
Application: The Bible does not tell us to only worship God when everything is going our way. It does not suggest that God is only worthy of our praise when we are happy and we feel like singing.
No, all of creation is to be in a constant state of praise, no matter what our situation. In fact, I find that when I am going through times of trial my worship becomes even more meaningful.
The Psalms highlight over and over again how important it is for us to praise God. The writers knew of the power of worship and they also understood how worthy God was to receive it.
May we not be limited to worshipping God only when the feeling is right, but let’s lift up a psalm of praise each and every day.
Prayer: Lord, there are times when life gets tough and all I can do is think of how hard it is to be me. However, I am blessed beyond all measure because I have You in my life. May I never stop offering You the praise and adoration that You are worthy of. Amen.
When is it easiest for you to worship God? When is it hardest?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.