The Heart Of Worship

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Scripture

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, let us make a loud shout to Him with songs of praise. For Yahweh is a great God.

~Psalm 95:2, LSB

Quote

“The sweetest music God hears in the voice of a thankful heart.”

~Thomas Watson

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Psalm 95 was yesterday’s Psalm. It is a praise Psalm that holds two truths together like book ends with worship in the middle. It begins with joy and ends with reverence and we need them both in Worship. Worship begins with our imagination and comtemplation of God immense and infinite greatness. Worship is about Him, not we ourselves. Matt Redman wrote the song, “I’M COMING BACK TO THE HEART OF WORSHIP,” and the song says, “It is all about YOU Jesus. I’m sorry LORD for the things I have made it but it is all about YOU Jesus.” Matt was the worship leader at a church in Great Britain and his pastor told him, “You have a year off…there will be no singing in our service. I want you to figure out what is wrong with our singing and our worship.” {this is a paraphrase, not exact quote} This is when Matt wrote the song and he was right: it is all about Jesus.

True worship requires both delight and submission. We come with joyful songs because Jesus is our Good Shepherd, but we come with humble hearts because He is also the King of kings. Worship that has joy without reverence becomes entertainment; reverence without joy becomes dead. Psalm 95 calls us to both.

As Thomas Watson expressed the spirit of this Psalm in his writings, “The more we see God’s greatness, the lower we bow; and the lower we bow, the higher our hearts rise in holy joy.” That balance—humble adoration before a glorious God—is the heartbeat of Psalm 95.

What I want to focus on today is verse two—Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, let us make a loud shout to Him with songs of praise. I love THANKSGIVING {the season} and ingratitude, though common, is a deplorable sin. I can see why God despises ingratitude. I drove to Athens Saturday to check on my brother John. Going was rather pleasant. I went over my brief Sunday message, prayed and praised all the way. Made four or five quick visits and got in the car to return home. I was half way to Ardmore so I took the Thatch Road to I-65, glanced down at the clock on the dash and said to myself, “Jack, you can be home by 3:00.” It was 2:21 at the time. Of course this was another bad decision on Jack’s part, bless his heart. He is an extremely slow learner. Guess what happened. People kept getting in my way. The interstate was bumper to bumper going and coming but it was that mindset that got me in trouble. I fussed and fumed all the way home because people do not know how to drive. I turned into our driveway at 3:00 on the dot and that is when a little voice spoke, “OK Jack, you drove like a maniac; took unnecessary risk, and what pray tell did you accomplish? For most of the last hour, you have done two things that you and I hate—you have complained incessantly and you have been ungrateful.” What could I say? Forgive me LORD for being stupid.

  • We observed communion yesterday morning and it was a sweet, sweet Spirit in the place. I just want to praise the LORD for His mercy and grace.
  • Cooler weather and I am thankful.
  • Sunday is Hawaiian Shirt Day at the POINT: loudest shirt {most color} wins a $25 Cracker Barrel gift card.
  • OUTDOOR CHURCH on Sunday September 6 @ 8:00 am. We will have donuts and coffee on the side porch but no Sunday School. Worship at 8:00 and then you have a long day for rest and family.
  • Wednesday night suppers also resume in September. Our first is a hamburger and hotdog supper on the 16th. At the pavilion unless there is a heat wave.
  • Don’t forget to pray for someone today other than yourself.
  • I hope you have as good of a Monday as a retired person and thanks for reading the blog!

Picnic Pavilion Built from Scrap

Our latest creation. Built this from scrap materials. Trying to use up all the scrap so that Holly can mow the back yard. She is a kamikaze on a gravely. She is both dangerous and destructive. If Willard thinks I am hard on a mower, he should see Holly. Joe David and Hannah are hard on them too but Holly takes the prize. Willard’s advertising slogan use to be “Gravely, the mower that Bro. Jack can’t tear up.” He may as well change that to the mower the Bailey’s can tear up.

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