What You (& I) Were Created To Do!
We walked into the church building after speaking “hello” to the one greeting outside the building. As soon as we stepped inside, the vibe of excitement within the room surrounded us, & I felt it deeply.
- They want to be here.
- They are enjoying their conversations immensely.
- They were drinking coffee, hot chocolate, hot tea, eating some pastries, and sharing life-stories.
- They caused me to want to stop and talk.
As we made our way, winding through the crowd, several turned to speak, made us feel welcomed as they turned to smile. This was my daughter and my son-in-law’s selected church, one that they joined a few months ago when they first moved to South Carolina.
How often have I been so thankful for church families!
- A church family in her university city.
- A church family in her European city.
- A church family in her temporary city. &
- A soon-to-be new church family in her next city.
Often, I have shared with others how thankful I am for church “families” that have embraced our daughter and her husband as the military moves them from place-to-place. A “family.” The “family of God” connected by faith. Despite where we are moved, Despite where we rest our head and call home, & Despite where we live and call our neighborhood—one thing remains a constant:
The “family” of God is present everywhere!
As we walked into the sanctuary and scanned the room for our seat, I stepped aside allowing them to lead the way, to choose the place where we would share in worship this morning. My daughter led us to the center of the building, and as we found our seats, I leaned over and whispered to her, “I absolutely love this fifty-yard line seat!” I was seated directly in front of the pulpit, seven seats back from the front of the church. A PERFECT SEAT! In fact, the only way the seat could be “More Perfect” is if the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth row had not been already taken and we would have sat there (in those even closer seats).
Then we began to sing.
“O Lord, My Rock & My Redeemer,
May All My Days Bring
Glory & Honor to Your Name.”
You (& I) Should Do What We Were Created To Do—to Praise the LORD!
King David knew how important it was for the people to sing praises to the Lord. In fact, it was under his direction that the children of Israel constructed a tent and moved the Ark of the Covenant into that tent. It was there, in that place, where the people knew they would encounter God.
“Now David built houses for himself in the city of David [in Jerusalem];
(1 Chronicles 15: 1 NASB)
and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.”
As her mom, I am ever-thankful that my daughter and her husband are believers, are Christians, who seek to share time with the “family” of God in every city they are placed.
“So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the horn, with trumpets, with loud-sounding cymbals, with harps, and lyres.
(1 Chronicles 15: 28-29 NASB)
When the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul [the first king of Israel] looked out of the window [of her house] and saw King David [her husband] dancing and celebrating; and she despised him in her heart.”
It is a fact:
- Not everyone will understand our worship of God.
- Not everyone will understand our worship of the Lord.
It is a fact:
- Sometimes others will see us and ridicule our actions, our worship of the King.
- Sometimes unbelievers will see our worship, think it is “nice,” but also make fun of us.
It is a fact, one that the Lord Jesus Christ told His disciples to be prepared for in the days leading up to His crucifixion and return to heaven.
At this juncture, please do not believe the ramblings of me but believe only the Word of God. Please pick up your Bible and let us read this Scripture, the words of our Lord, together.
“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.
(John 15: 18-21 NASB)
If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.”
[If the world sees you as different, then you have done a good job walking by faith in God.]
“Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they followed My word, they will follow yours also.
But all these things they will do to you on account of My name, because they do not know the One who sent Me.”
King David rejoiced as the Levites who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant brought it into Jerusalem. Once the Levites arrived to the city, they placed the ark of God into the tent that David had commanded his workers to construct.
- Then the worship service began.
- Then the singing began.
- Then the dancing began.
- Then the celebration began.
- Then the voices lifted praises to the King of kings.
- Then thanks were sung to the LORD.
“The One who’s fighting for you . . .
We’re dancing like David.
It’s not even fair.”
“Not Even Fair” by Aguilar
Before we read the praise and worship to God lifted by the children of Israel, let us pause to listen to a modern-day melody. Grab your earbuds, get out of your chair, dance, twirl, lift your hands, sing loudly, as You (& I) Should Do What We Were Created To Do—to Praise the LORD!
“There is joy in this house today.
There is joy in this house today.
There is joy in this house today.
We shout out Your praise.
We shout out Your praise.”
“House of the Lord” by Phil Wickham
Yes, as a mom, I am ever-thankful that my daughter and her husband are faithful believers, that they have given their hearts to God, that they are Christians, and that they seek to share time with the “family” of God in every city where they are placed. As I stood in the sanctuary beside my daughter, as we sang praises to our LORD, as I lifted my hands in worship, my heart sang loudly to my KING.
You (& I Should) “Give thanks to the LORD,
(1 Chronicles 16: 8-17 & 23-25 & 36 NASB)
call upon His name;
You (& I Should) Make His deeds known
among the peoples.
You (& I Should) Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His wonders.
Boast in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who
seek the LORD be joyful.”
You (& I Should) “Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face continually.
Remember His wonderful
deeds which He has done,
His marvels and the judgments
from His mouth,
You descendants of Israel His servant,
Sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!
He is the LORD our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.”
You (& I Should) “Remember His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded
to a thousand generations,
The covenant which He
made with Abraham,
And His oath to Isaac.
He also confirmed it to
Jacob as a statute,
To Israel as an everlasting covenant, . . .”
You (& I Should) “Sing to the LORD, all the earth;
Proclaim good news of His
salvation from day to day.”
You (& I Should) ”Tell of His glory among the nations,
His wonderful deeds among
all the peoples.
For great is the LORD, and
greatly to be praised;
He also is to be feared above all gods. . . .”
“Blessed be the LORD, the
God of Israel,
From everlasting to everlasting!
Then all the people said,
[all the people present there together that day worshipping the LORD]
“Amen” and praised the LORD.”