Tag: worship

The LORD God called out to the man, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:9

Genesis 3:8-10 New American Standard Bible 1995

8 They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the [a]cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

“Where are you?”

God asks Adam as he quietly strolls through the garden as if he is automatically expecting to encounter the eagerness of Adam, the sight of Adam seeing Him.

But, something is off, the automatic encounter does not seem to be automatic.

What are we to make of this happenstance, the absence of this automatic sight?

The absence of this “naturally” automatic encounter between man and God?

Perhaps these questions are not much about where Adam and Eve are hiding?

Perhaps something significantly bigger than that is happening here?

Please consider …

Genesis 1 and 2 give the glorious account of our creative God busy creating everything—including us human beings.

Then Genesis 3 tells of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, their fall into sin, which now infects all of us.

The fruit looked delicious and desirable, but all it revealed was that they were naked. They tried to hide from God in their shame, making simple garments of fig leaves. Where were they? To answer God’s question, they were both lost and they did not even have the awareness to know it and less awareness to act on it.

God’s footsteps echoed in the garden, and his voice boomed, “Where are you?” God knew, they did not know it – God knew they needed to know they were lost.

God began to quietly enlighten them …

“Who told you that you were naked?”

God asked.

Not roared lest the undefinable power of his anger rips them limb from limb. (Psalm 29:1-9)

The Voice of the Lord in the Storm.

A Psalm of David.

29 Ascribe to the Lord, O [a]sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory [b]due to His name;
Worship the Lord in [c]holy array.

3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
The God of glory thunders,
The Lord is over [d]many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful,
The voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
Yes, the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
And Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord hews out [e]flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord [f]shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer to calve
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everything says, “Glory!”

Like naïve naughty children, they automatically tried to use the blame game.

“The woman you put here gave me the fruit,” whimpered Adam.

“The serpent (you made) fooled me,” Eve whined.

Today in such moments and our circumstances God still asks, “Where are you?”

Today, in such moments and our circumstances, God is yet looking and he is always in our immediate neighborhood, always very close by, still strolling.

I heard it when I was in my hospital room, looking at the digital clock on the wall counting down the seconds and the minutes until my open heart surgery.

My heart was in desperate need of the kind of repair only my surgeons could give me, there was no place to hide, any running could give me a heart attack.

I was out of options, had no control over my life, lost, vulnerable, and scared.

I picked up my phone and went to my bible app and started at the beginning.

God strolled into my garden where my very life hung in the balance, where as I was reading Genesis 3 that one haunting question suddenly turned comforting.

He was not out to get me into chastising me but to remind me the promise that he’d provided a Savior, his Son. “Stay where you are. I’ve sent my Son for you!”

In that life or death moment, in the indescribable magnitude of my uncertainty, God strolled in unannounced through His Holy Scriptures and God assured me.

Psalm 29:10-11 New American Standard Bible 1995

10 The Lord sat as King at the flood;
Yes, the Lord sits as King forever.
11 [a]The Lord will give strength to His people;
[b]The Lord will bless His people with peace.

Do you know this God, do we know this timeless and immutable truth from the Word of God, spoken from the mouth of God, who always desires to be with us?

Psalm 29:1-2 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Voice of the Lord in the Storm.

A Psalm of David.

29 Ascribe to the Lord, O [a]sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory [b]due to His name;
Worship the Lord in [c]holy array.

Do we ever so “naturally” automatically turn to the Word of God to hear Him speak to us, to so automatically glorify his immediate proximity to our lives?

Blessedly Assured, Reassured, Standing in Plain Sight on the Promises of God?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Tilling the Soils of Our Hearts With Our Worship of the Lord. Psalm 29:2

Psalm 29:1-2 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Voice of the Lord in the Storm.
A Psalm of David.

29 Ascribe to the Lord, O [a]sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory [b]due to His name;
Worship the Lord in [c]holy array.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

One of the most powerful ways to till the soil of the heart is through worship.

Authentic worship is a powerful exchange of God pouring his love out on us and us giving him our hearts in return.

In worshiping through music, our hearts naturally become soft and receptive to God’s presence and love as we encounter his goodness and engage in a reverent adoration of the only One who is completely, utterly, worthy of our affections.

God created music with an innate ability to affect us at our core.

Psalms, Music, have the power to fill us with peace, joy, and anger; it can cause tears to well up in our eyes and even make the most mundane events beautiful.

Martin Luther said, “Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us.”

By consistently engaging in worship through beautiful music, we each provide a framework for the Holy Spirit both to till the soil of our hearts and to fill us with the seeds of God’s presence and perfect character.

The Bible is brimming with admonishment to worship through song.

Paul tells us in Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” 

Hebrews 12:28 says, “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence  and awe.”

Scripture is so clear about the importance of worship because God longs for us to be a people marked by consistent reminders of his unconditional love.

He longs for us to live in response to his presence and his greater plans, rather than mightily struggling through life by placing our trust in the world over him.

God longs to reveal his heart to you in worship.

He longs to show up, meet us in our rooms, our prayer closets, cars, workplace, in the outdoors as we walk and bike and hike in creation, and houses of worship.

We were created to encounter all the fullness of God and engage in the cyclical act of giving and receiving love throughout our days.

When we worship here on earth, we posture our whole heart towards eternity.

Making the willful choice listen for the voice of God, to give your affections to the One you will spend eternity with, you also discover your purpose for which you were made: to live in unhindered communion with your heavenly Father.

If you feel like the soil of your heart is more rock hard than tillable, your life isn’t marked by the fruit of the Spirit or you can’t escape from a temptation—simply take some time and pick up the Word of God, encounter God in worship.

God’s presence is wholly available to you today.

His love and grace are steadfast towards you.

May your time in guided prayer be marked by the awareness of, nearness of, and power of the Holy Spirit as you encounter the unconditional love of God.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on what Scripture says about worship through music and reflect on how beautiful music moves your heart.

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 100:1-5

“And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.” 1 Samuel 16:23

2.Engage in worship in whatever way moves your heart. 

Receive the presence and love of your heavenly Father and give him your heart in response. Remember the importance of giving and receiving love in worship.

“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody!” Psalm 57:7

“I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.” Psalm 13:6

3. Journal about the effects worship has on your heart. 

Reflecting on and writing down the things God is doing in our lives helps us to actualize that which is often left internal and forgotten.

Psalm 104:33 says, “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.” 

Until your life is devoted to worshipping God, you will never find total rest.

When we give ourselves to the things of this world it repays us with stress, burden, and cares rather than unconditional love.

It’s only in devoting yourself to God alone that you will find satisfaction and reciprocation for your love.

Live today in full devotion to God.

Do everything as an act of worship.

And find that God repays your adoration ten fold by pouring out his wealth of affection over you.

May today be filled with the presence, power of God as you give, receive, love.

Psalm 29 The Message

29 1-2 Bravo, God, bravo!
    Gods and all angels shout, “Encore!”
In awe before the glory,
    in awe before God’s visible power.
Stand at attention!
    Dress your best to honor him!

3 God thunders across the waters,
Brilliant, his voice and his face, streaming brightness—
God, across the flood waters.

4 God’s thunder tympanic,
God’s thunder symphonic.

5 God’s thunder smashes cedars,
God topples the northern cedars.

6 The mountain ranges skip like spring colts,
The high ridges jump like wild kid goats.

7-8 God’s thunder spits fire.
God thunders, the wilderness quakes;
He makes the desert of Kadesh shake.

9 God’s thunder sets the oak trees dancing
A wild dance, whirling; the pelting rain strips their branches.
We fall to our knees—we call out, “Glory!”

10 Above the floodwaters is God’s throne
    from which his power flows,
    from which he rules the world.

11 God makes his people strong.
God gives his people peace.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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First, Foremost, Utmost, Uppermost: The King of All Creation. Genesis 1:1

Genesis 1:1-2 New King James Version

The History of Creation

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness [a]was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

In the Beginning When Everything Was New …

Today marks the beginning of a new year – 2024.

The turn of the year is a time for new things: hopes, dreams, and resolutions about how we’ll live differently now that we’ve turned the page on the calendar.

Once upon a time, the whole world was new.

Out of nothing, God created the heavens and the earth.

In the first two verses of Genesis the Bible describes the process of creation: God spoke, the world came into being.

And what God made was good.

It shone with delightful diversity, reflecting the richness of God’s character.

We do not always see the goodness and brilliance of God’s creation because sin, brokenness obscures our vision and brings decay to what was once brand-new.

Our awareness, our treasured delights in the newness of God’s work wears off.

Resolved: we each need our attention called back to the character of the Creator.

These opening words of Genesis tells us that God can bring goodness out of chaos, and in this way God assures us that the world is firmly in His control.

In the coming new year, these opening words of Scripture will fade to the back of our minds, we will face times when the newness of our January goals wears off, when the brokenness of our lives keeps us from receiving each day as a gift.

When that happens, let’s be resolved to remember that God made all things good, let’s trust that He has the power to make all things new and good again.

First, Foremost, Utmost, Uppermost: King of Creation

Genesis 1:1-2 Amplified Bible

The Creation

1 In the beginning God ([a]Elohim) [b]created [by forming from nothing] the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was [c]formless and void or a waste and emptiness, and darkness was upon the face of the deep [primeval ocean that covered the unformed earth]. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters.

There was never a time when God did not exist.

Before there was time, before there was anything, there was God.

And since His nature is unchanging, so He has also always existed in the Trinity—God the Father, and God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

When reading the Bible, we discover that each member of the Holy Trinity was indelibly involved in creation: God the Father took the initiative, God the Spirit is described as “hovering over” the proceedings, and God the Son was the agent of creation in all that was made (Genesis 1:2-3; John 1:3).

The eloquent hymn “All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small”[1] should leave us in awe; they were all fashioned by God’s command.

1 Cecil F. Alexander, “All Things Bright and Beautiful” (1848).

And He is not only the Creator of all; He is also the Lord of all He has created.

All of nature is in His hands, under His control.

As we see waves crashing against the shoreline, it’s wonderfully encouraging to know each and every one of them is there as a result of God’s sovereign rule.

God entered in and He has not stepped away from His creation, nor will He ever.

It’s so indelibly important for us all to remember that God is also transcendent.

He is on His throne, above, beyond, and distinct from all that He has made.

This is what distinguishes Christianity from pantheism, the idea the natural world is a manifestation of God, therefore everything is somehow a part of Him.

With this belief, we dare not kill a fly or step on an ant because those insects are divine.

Similarly, we should not chop down a tree or eat meat, because these too are “parts of God.”

Teachings like these are mistaken and misguided and tend to lead to idolatry.

Scripture makes it so abundantly clear that time and time again that people will first choose to worship “the creature rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:25).

Romans 1:24-25 The Message

24-25 So God said, in effect, “If that’s what you want, that’s what you get.” It wasn’t long before they were living in a pigpen, smeared with filth, filthy inside and out. And all this because they traded the true God for a fake god, and worshiped the god they made instead of the God who made them—the God we bless, the God who blesses us. Oh, yes!

When we see a great painting, we rightly admire and enjoy the painting, and then we praise the painter. All of creation is God’s canvas, and all of it speaks of “his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature” (v 20).

Romans 1:20-23 The Message

Ignoring God Leads to a Downward Spiral

18-23 But God’s angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.

Only God is to be worshiped, for creation exists by His power and for His glory.

His existence, Kingship, knows no beginning or end, and He will reign forever.

He is the King of all Creation.

Be it resolved today to praise, honor, worship, exalt Him as He alone deserves.

Go for an extended walk, go for an extended drive, look out of the window open our hearts wide, praise Him as we see His beauty displayed in ALL He has made.

First, foremost, utmost and uppermost, Praise Him, Thank Him as He ALONE continues to rule over His creation, holding you and me in His sovereign hand.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 150 New King James Version

Let All Things Praise the Lord

150 Praise[a] the Lord!

Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty [b]firmament!

2 Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!

3 Praise Him with the sound of the [c]trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
4 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
5 Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!

6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

[d]Praise the Lord!

Thank you, Creator God, for your good creation. Open our eyes to see the brilliance and beauty of everything you have made, and to rest securely in the knowledge of your sovereign care for the world you created. In your great name we pray. Amen.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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