Meditation

10/01/2020

“Then David said to the whole assembly, ‘Praise the Lord your God.’ So they all praised the Lord, the God of their fathers; they bowed low and fell prostrate before the Lord and the king.” (1^st Chronicles29:20)

Beloved, thanksgiving and worship are inevitably bound together. Thanksgiving should be expressed from a position of humility and reverence. The worshipers here bowed their faces to the ground leading to the Temple.

Worship (Hebrew – pistachio) means to bow down to pay homage or honor to a person with superior rank of position. 2^nd Samuel 14:4, 22 says: ‘Like water spilled on the ground which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways to that a banished person may not remain estranged from him.’ ‘Joab fell with his face to the ground to pay him honor, and he blessed the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that he has found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, because the king has granted his servant’s request.”)

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

1. Precious Abba, it is always appropriate for us to bow or kneel before You, because You are our God. In our worship, it is also appropriate for us to come before You, praising Your Holy Name and in thanksgiving for the many blessings we have received in our lives. Let us never think twice, about honoring You, for You created this world and all things in it. You created the seas, the mountains, creatures that roam the lands and the seas, and most assuredly all of us, that came into being from Your desire to be our God. Amen

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“With God each day is filled with miracles, if we will simply take notice of what is going on around us.”

KNOWING GOD:

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’ These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.” (Psalm42:1-4)

These verses describe part of Israel’s pattern of worship. The multitudes came together at the sacred place to praise, to worship the Lord. This sense of he corporate nature of worship is seen in the institution of the Passover. Each individual household was responsible, but all the people were involved.

The New Testament begins with this same corporate responsibility to worship. The early church developed a strong sense of need to worship with other believers. The strong emphasis in both the Old and New Testament is on the corporate worship in the congregation. Corporate worship gives encouragement, strengthens faith, provides a sense of fellowship and identity, and gives instruction for the worshiper.

I AM:

“What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of he church. If anyone speaks in a tongue or an interpretation, two—-or at the most three—-should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quite in he church and speak to himself and God. Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” (1^st Corinthians14:26–33)

Inspiration seeks to strengthen the church, provide instruction for life and faith, encourage God’s people, and promote peace. God uses every means to make Himself known in order to accomplish these goals. Insight into God’s revealed teaching many come to any faithful believer at any moment. Worship is a setting God uses to teach His people. His revealed will should be shared with the church in orderly fashion.

Anyone sharing God’s revealed insights should do so to help the church and not to gain personal power or prestige. Revelation begins with God, not humans. He gives all gifts of revelation and ministry. Corporate worship in the early church included several elements. Worship sought to interpret God’s will clearly to His people and to strengthen the church.

Second Thought of the Day:

“When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: Blessed is he king who comes in the name of the Lord! (Luke19:37–38)

Of course, Jesus is heading to the Mount of Olives, with the intent to pray, but He also knew that it was where he would be arrested by the Temple guards and the long night ahead was going to be filled with rejection, anger, torture.

The atmosphere among the disciples is joyful, they were singing and praising God, fully unaware of what was rushing at them like a runaway train. Before the night is over, they will all be hiding in fear and wondering what is going on. Jesus had certainly told the inner circle of disciples, but they seemed to have forgotten what it was that He would have to endure. Don’t we do the same thing? We love Easter morning, but quickly go through the week leading up to the joyful morning of Jesus’ resurrection. This is why we must remember these things, for they are important to us and to our churches, that we never forget.