"Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!" Psalm 105:1-2
For two years, I wondered why my walk with the Lord felt dry. I’d find myself almost daily asking, “How did I get here?” Yet, for some reason, I never took it further than that; it was like hanging in the balance of a full life that somehow felt dull at the same time. I was trying to keep my eyes fixed on the One who holds all things together, and I kept chugging along, wondering if this dullness and haze would ever lift.
By God’s grace, one night I climbed into the tub at the end of a long day as I always do and I turned on my worship music. I immediately felt tense (that sounds strange, right?), and my chest tightened as I found myself wondering if the singer I was listening to chose to adhere to sound doctrine. Was a mash-up of favorite worship songs okay? Was it okay that my spirit is more drawn to contemporary music than the music of old? It’s not that the questions were wrong. I think these are healthy questions to ask, but they showed the posture of my heart at that moment. I had a heart not filled with conviction but a heart filled with worry and condemnation.
Moments later, I had the most beautiful reminder from the Lord. I was taken back to the morning I climbed into my dad's truck a few years ago to find him singing one of these worship songs. God etched that morning into my heart forever, and it set my eyes back on Him. You see, it was such a gift to me to witness my dad singing praises to our Savior. Pure-hearted, free from worry, and in a posture of humility. This, I believe, is what matters most to the Lord during our intimate worship with Him.
It all became abundantly clear as the Holy Spirit began a great revival in my heart that night. We see time and time again in the Psalms how the praises of God's people and their worship were free from worry. They would dance in the streets, sing, and play instruments. They didn't have concern over who was watching them because they had a deep love for the One they were worshiping.
Psalm 105:1-6 shows us the freedom they felt in their worship, "Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered, O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones!"
I will forever remember this moment with the Lord. It was the one where He gently turned my gaze back to Him. Humility washed over me once again. God’s grace and mercy poured out over my heart. I immediately felt softened, and the thought of harshness felt repulsive. True worship of the Lord overcame my worries and fears. It is true, and I pray you know that the love of Christ will always soften us and pull us out of the pit. His love will make us new and whole. Freely worshiping our Savior will change our lives forever.
Let's pray:
Father, help me lean into you as I worship. My worship is for you and you alone. I pray that the worries of man never get in the way of how I approach your throne of grace. Posture my heart to constantly seek your face and give me interactions where I can share about the wondrous works you've done in my life. In Jesus's name, amen.
Photo Credit: ©Sparrowstock/David Clark
Chelsey is the voice behind the Living with Less Podcast and author of the 52-week devotional More of Him, Less of Me: Living a Christ-centered Life in a Me-centered World. She writes devotions for Lifeway Women's Journey Magazine, Crosswalk.com, and iBelieve.com. She also writes Bible reading plans for the YouVersion Bible App. Chelsey lives in Ohio with her husband and two children. You can connect with her on Instagram @chelseydematteis and at her website ChelseyDeMatteis.com.
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