EXPRESS YOURSELF

Psalm 100
1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. 3 Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. 5 For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.

When David said to make a joyful noise to the Lord, he was declaring that worship should be expressive to the Lord. Audibly voicing our strong emotions is normal--the mouth tries to express the praises of the heart. Many of us, however, have been conditioned to be subdued and reserved when it comes to worshiping God.

In ancient times, God's people expressed their worship and praise to Him in several ways:

* With an upright heart (Psalm 32:11). Worship is a heart matter, not an external ritual. When we worship God, it should be from a heart that is right with Him.

* With joyful singing (Psalm 95:1-2). Because Israel had witnessed God's awesome deeds, they responded with passionate singing. Their singing was alive because their God was alive.

* With clapping (Psalm 47:1). Contrary to some conservative opinion, clapping is a biblical method for praising and worshiping our God.

* By bowing down before Him (Psalm 66:4). Bowing in worship is a sign of humility before God.

* Through reverent service (Psalm 2:11). They were called to cease going through the motions of religious duty. Serving the Lord should not be burdensome; it should be a real joy to serve a God who loves us and forgives us completely.

* With our whole heart--all our mind, emotions, body, and will (Psalm 100). There's no need to incarcerate our praise in the prison of reservation.

We're called to be expressive in our worship. This inward experience and outward _expression of our worship is not a call to emotionalism, but a call to taste God and to be transformed by His awesome presence. --Marvin Williams

DESTINATION POINTS

* How can I be more expressive in my worship of God?
* When was the last time I pondered the character and awesome deeds of God?
* With whom can I share what God has done and is doing in my life?

LINKS:
What Is Worship
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0902

bottom line: Worship is to be expressed.

soul journey