Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving thanks.
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.
How do we worship the Lord?
How exactly are you supposed to worship the Lord? Do you stand or sit during the singing in church? And do you only lift up your hands when commanded by the worship team? Or you feel like shouting and doing a jig when you think of something wonderful the Lord did for you recently, but will everyone else think you are mad?
Let’s examine the above scriptures to see if we can learn God’s way of worshipping Him.
The command in verse 1 to shout for joy is directed to all the earth. I believe this relates firstly to those who are called by the name of the lord. And in verse 2 we are commanded to worship the Lord with gladness and come before Him with joyful songs.
If you have ever been fortunate enough to be woken up to the sound of birds singing, you know they don’t care that it’s five thirty in the morning. They sing as loudly as they can, and have no qualms about whom they disturb in the process. It is a praise language that we should emulate.
We worship the God that we know. When you are in a thrilling and thriving relationship with someone, you don’t care who knows it. In fact, you want to shout it from the rooftops! In the same way, be prepared to shout for joy when you come into God’s presence with other believers. And if you feel shy or wonder if others will think you are crazy, remember that most trendsetters are regarded in the same light. David is a typical example.
When David brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Israel, he leapt and danced with such joy that his wife was embarrassed. In fact the bible records that she was “filled with contempt for him” and she told him so in no uncertain terms. But David responded:
"I was dancing before the LORD, who chose me above your father and his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the LORD. So I am willing to act like a fool in order to show my joy in the LORD. Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this” 2 Samuel 6:21 – 22. (NLT)
He was willing to appear undignified and be even more humiliated in celebrating his Lord, because he knew whom he worshipped. He had experienced God so much in his life that he was prepared to lay down foolish pride and joyfully praise Him.
Be the same and remember that the person next to you probably wants to shout, but feels you may think they are mad! Have in mind the Person you are worshipping to the exclusion of all else.
Shout joyfully and dance with all your might before Him. Sing songs to Him that come only from your heart. Psalm 22:3 tells us that God inhabits the praises of Israel or His people. Believe it or not, He actually enjoys it when we sing joyfully to him, and He doesn’t care whether we sound like a frog, or a nightingale. He already knows how we sound. There is a song in your heart that God has placed there for Himself, and He wants to hear it from your lips. Don’t be afraid to sing confidently to him. Practice singing to him at home, in the car, in the shower, and everywhere else, so that when you come to church, you are can add your voice to that of God’s assembled people.
Praise the LORD! I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. Ps 111:1 (NKJV)
The bible registers David as a man after God’s own heart. I believe it was because he worshipped God at all times and didn’t care who knew it. The same could be said for Enoch, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Paul… the list is endless.
Wouldn’t you like to be one of those God calls a man or woman after His heart?