Read
(A song by David for worship.)
A Song of Praise
1It made me glad when they said,
“Let's go to the house
of the Lord!”
2Jerusalem, we are standing
inside your gates.
3Jerusalem, what a strong
and beautiful city you are!
4Every tribe of the Lord
obeys him and comes to you
to praise his name.
5David's royal throne is here
where justice rules.
6Jerusalem, we pray
that you will have peace,
and that all will go well
for those who love you.
7May there be peace
inside your city walls
and in your palaces.
8Because of my friends
and my relatives,
I will pray for peace.
9And because of the house
of the Lord our God,
I will work for your good.
Reflect
I have to go. I should go. I want to go. I can’t wait to go. Which of these phrases best describe your attitude towards your worship gathering? For David it was, “I can’t wait!” You can hear his overflowing joy for corporate worship. He exclaims, “I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem (Psalm 122:1-2)!”
Many people have checked out of church preferring instead to “do church” as “bedside Baptists”. They are missing the joy that God has for them in failing to obey the command in Hebrews 10:25, “Some people have gotten out of the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord’s coming is getting closer.”
Years ago, the Heinz ketchup company ran a clever ad campaign using these words: “Anticipation is making me wait, is keeping me waiting.” Anticipation and expectation heighten our experiences. Corporate worship can be an “I can hardly wait” experience for Christians. Our worship time will be richer if we approach God with an attitude of eager expectation. The seed of expectation will blossom to produce a crop of blessing.
The key ingredient to prepare ourselves for a divine encounter is faith (Hebrews 11:6). Worship begins with faith in who God is, in his promises and in his loving grace. Faith expects God to reward hungry souls.
Respond
Heavenly Father, what great joy there is to worship in expectation and to do so with others who love you. Bless the company of the faithful whose eagerness for the things of God compels us to live for you with joyful surrender. Amen.
Jody Cross
Dr. Jody Cross is a worship pastor, recording artist, author and worship ministry consultant. His passion is to glorify God by developing leaders, equip worship teams and lead God’s people in worship. Jody has released a book on worship and justice, This Is Our Love and has produced two award winning worship albums. Jody serves as Worship Pastor at First Baptist Church in Orillia, Ontario. Jody is married to Alexandra. They have four teenage children. Publications: This Is Our Love: Engaging a Broken World Through Worship CD’s: Forward To Forever Rekindle Rejoice: Christmas Worship