Tag: Praise

The Position, Posture & Place of our worship Part 2

In the book of Mark is a story of a woman’s act of love, service and devotion to the Lord. Her story is lost to time, not even her name is given in this passage. We don’t know her life story, we don’t know her past but we do see a glimpse of her heart. It is a story that shows us the position, posture and place of our worship.

Mark 14:3-9 ESV

3 And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. 4 There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? 5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. 6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

  1. THE POSTURE OF WORSHIP

THE BIBLE RECORDS NO WORDS FROM THIS WOMAN, JUST A SIMPLE ACT OF DEVOTION. A lot of times especially in worship, we come to know God with and without words. We don’t always have to sing along with a song in order to worship Him. We worship from the heart than with our lips.

IT’S NOT HOW WE LOOK WHEN WE WORSHIP, ITS ABOUT THE POSTURE OF OUR HEART.

GOD HONORS WORSHIP FROM THE HEART, JOHN 4:24 “GOD IS SPIRIT, AND THOSE WHO WORSHIP HIM MUST WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH.”

WE MUST GIVE OUR ALL JUST AS THIS WOMAN DID.

///REFLECTION///

ONCE THE VESSEL THAT HELD THE OINTMENT WAS BROKEN, THERE WAS NO STOPPING IT, IT HAD TO BE USED AT ONCE. ARE WE STOPPING OUR PRAISE FOR ANY REASON? HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE GRIEVED THE SPIRIT FROM HOLDING BACK OUR PRAISE?

Who is like the Lord?

If I were to ask you a question about the Lord, what would your response be? Would it be the same question that David is asking in the Psalm 113?

Psalm 113:1-10 “Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised! The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people. He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord!”

No one is like Him and no one could take His place — Isaiah 45:5 “I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God.”

Our lives shouldn’t have to have a reason to give Him praise, from the rising of the sun to its setting, whatever happens, let us sing and let us sing “Who is like the Lord?”

Psalm 77:13 “Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God?”

So who is like the Lord?

  • Who can turn ashes into beauty
  • Who can be a father to the fatherless
  • Who can make a way where there is no way
  • Who can and who has turned your grave into a garden
  • Who can breath life onto dry bones and make them live again.

Cultivating a Heart of Thankfulness

Studies have shown that being thankful improves our physical and emotional health. Holding on to feelings of thankfulness boosts our immune system and increases blood supply to our heart. Daily guided exercises or the habit of keeping a weekly gratitude journal can increase our alertness, enthusiasm, and energy, and improve our sleep. People who describe themselves as feeling grateful tend to suffer less stress and depression than the rest of the population.

LUKE 17:11-19

On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance.

  • ITS COMMON TO SEE A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO HAS THE SAME OUTLOOK AND THE SAME ATTITUDE OF A CONDITION HUDDLED TOGETHER. 
  • LIKE NEGATIVE NANCY, DEBBIE DOWNER, PESSIMISTIC PAT, AND A FEW OTHERS WERE THERE.

 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” (DO YOU WANT TO BE HEALED?) 

SOMETIMES WE ARE NOT PRESENTED WITH A QUESTION FROM GOD BUT AN ACTION AND THAT ACTION IS THANKFULNESS, PRAISE AND HONOR!

HE WANTS TO SEE OUR HEARTS REACTION TO A MIRACLE OR A BLESSING. 

PSALM 86:12-13

“I will give thanks to you with all my heart, O Lord my God. I will honor you forever because your mercy toward me is great.”

And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 

  • (STOOD AT DISTANCE) IT WAS LAW THAT THEY HAD TO KEEP A DISTANCE BETWEEN OTHERS. JESUS IS STANDING IN FRONT OF THEM. RELIGION KEEPS US FROM GIVING THANKS, RELIGION KEEPS US FROM BELIEVING THE IMPOSSIBLE.  

16 and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” 

THE LEPERS WERE WANTING HEALING BUT ONLY ONE CAME BACK WITH A SOUND OF PRAISE! 

BE THANKFUL. IF WE ARE NOT CONTENT AND GRATEFUL FOR WHAT WE HAVE AND WHO WE ARE, THEN WE ARE NOT LOVING GOD AS WE SHOULD. 

EMBRACE TRUST RATHER THAN CONTROL

THE BEGINNING OF REBELLION IS A THANKLESS HEART.

“For He is Good”

Nothing can satisfy the entire man but the Lord’s love, and the Lord’s own self. To embrace our Lord Jesus, to dwell in His love, and be fully assured of union with Him this is all in all. Dear reader, you need not try other forms of life in order to see whether they are better than the Christian’s: if you roam the world around, you will see no sights like a sight of the Saviour’s face; if you could have all the comforts of life, if you lost your Saviour, you would be wretched; but if you win Christ, you would find it a paradise; should you live in obscurity, or die with famine, you will yet be satisfied with favor, and full of the goodness of the Lord. – Charles Spurgeon

God’s love for humanity cannot be understood in the mind of those who has already accepted Him only by looking at the Cross. Henry Ward Beecher describes it best. ” Love in the soul is like perfume in the garments. Heat cannot melt it nor cold freeze it, nor the winds blow it away going forth or coming home, it scatters itself but is not wasted; it is forever going but never gone. And the love of God shed abroad in the soul surpasses all fragrance, in inexhaustible diffusiveness.

Are you infatuated with His love?

2 Chronicles 5:13,14
13 and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the LORD), and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the LORD, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever,” the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.”

I find myself in question for those who don’t allow for God to embellish them in His presence. Is it because of a trial that has overtook your life so that we place your our trumpet on the ground? It’s only when we raise our voice to the Heaven’s when we find the room filled with His glory.

You have granted me life and steadfast love, and your care has preserved my spirit. – Job 10:12