Worship Devotional XXXIV
Originally posted to the Facebook group on 8/1/2020.
Worship Devotional for 8/2/20
God is seated above on His heavenly throne, ruling over all of mankind, over all the earth — over all of creation. He is holy, and nothing can compare to His power or to His love. He is above all, and not one of us could stand in His holy presence and expect to live. And yet, He is also our Father, with whom we can personally relate. We are known by Him and can get to know Him because we have been made new and alive in Christ Jesus, who is the only One who is righteous and able to stand before God the Father — the Creator and Judge of all. How amazing it is that we who are weak and broken and who were once condemned to die because of our sin can approach the throne of God with confidence by faith, knowing that we have life and not death, righteousness and not sin, freedom and not condemnation, hope and not fear. All of this is given to us freely by the grace of God in Christ Jesus. So we rejoice and declare the praises of our God, who is worthy to receive all glory. We also do not run away or try to hide anymore when we are overwhelmed by stress or worldly cares or when we make mistakes or fail or sin, because we have forgiveness and redemption and a loving relationship with the Father in Christ. Instead of running to worldly things which cannot satisfy and away from God, we run to Him who is great and mighty and sovereign and who reigns over all things.
In these times of hardship and confusion and deception, we are the ones who still have hope and who are not shaken. The God we believe in and serve and worship is still on the throne and is still in control. Whatever you are feeling or going through right now, lift your eyes to the One who is greater and stronger than everything, and run to Him for refuge and peace. Keep trusting in Him, for He is able to bring you through to victory, and He loves us and is with us always.
Psalm 62:5-8:
"Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will not be shaken. My salvation and glory depend on God, my strong rock. My refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge."
Here are the songs:
1) The Awesome God You Are by Matt Redman
In the midst of the trials and storms of this life, we need to be reminded of the power and might of our God. His majesty speaks peace to us. His sovereignty and the power of His name dispel our fears of anything that might come against us. His glory lights up the darkness and brings comfort to us in the night. The awesome God we serve is able to meet us where we are even as He reigns on high. How awesome it is to know we are loved and protected by the One who is greater than all things!
2) A Mighty Fortress by Christy Nockels
Since we know that we serve such an awesome God who loves us so much more than we could comprehend, we must keep our eyes on Him when the stormy chaos of the world rages around us. He is a mighty fortress and a sacred refuge for us. We have been granted entry into His eternal kingdom, which is unshakeable. And just to show that His grace goes even further, He has promised that we will even reign with Him forever in His heavenly kingdom. Believing this astounding promise, let us hold fast to hope and faith as we go through this life.
3) My Hope Is In You by April Geesbreght
Things can be hard and frustrating and painful in this life, as we all know. But when we meet with God and dwell in His presence, we have hope. As we wait for the fulfillment of all His wonderful promises, He gives us peace that surpasses understanding, so that we can rest in hope and keep believing even when we don't understand our circumstances. Therefore, no matter what each of us is going through, we can still come together and praise God, declaring, "Our hope is in You, Lord!"
4) What A Friend We Have In Jesus (Converse)
Now is a time for the church to be in prayer. Each of us who are believers in Christ Jesus, called as children of God, have a holy fellowship and relationship with Him. In the midst of all our dealings with sin, grief, sorrow, weakness, trials, temptations, troubles, burdens, and cares, He is there for us. He knows our every need. Jesus walked the earth as one of us. He faced every hardship of mankind. He is able to give us the grace and strength and wisdom we need to press on and glorify His name in everything until at last we are with Him in heaven forever. So turn to the Lord in prayer! Wake up and pray, church! Now is the time. We don't pray to nothing or to some worthless idol or some mystical unknown idea. We pray to the one true and living God, who is sovereign and mighty and holy, and yet who listens to us and loves us and answers us with exactly what we need for our good and for His glory. What a friend we have in Jesus! What an awesome God we serve!
Scriptures:
Deuteronomy 4:24
Psalms 18, 46, 62, 71, 91
Proverbs 18:10
Nahum 1:7
Romans 8:18-30
1 Corinthians 10:12-13
Philippians 4:4-7
Hebrews 2, 4:14-16, 12:1-2 & 28-29
1 Peter 4:7, 5:6-7