I was so tired of the fear and rejection. Life was just not working. I was never noticed for my efforts of love, but became the big announcement when I made any perceived mistake. I was shunned as renegade, disorderly, and marked as “one that causes divisions and offenses” when I would speak of my passionate pursuit of God. When I had dire need or physical failings it seemed former friends were nowhere to be found, and none looked my way. And no matter where I turned there were unanswered questions; and suspicion was cast my way due to my asking. It seemed like I had been running for miles beyond my strength. Bearing the soul tingling sense that the adversary was on my trail, I just knew he was tracking me down to hurl that final dart into my already broken and wounded heart. I became worthless, for so that I am. My strength now gone, I fell to the ground and cried out “Where is my God?” … As a lay there with my eyes closed to any ray of light … I heard a still small voice say in response, “Where is your song?”
Psalm 96:1 – “O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth”.
O wandering minstrel, as you travel along through your life's adventure, sing your song … sing it to an audience of One. Because you have been repaired, because you have been renewed, because you are New, fresh and alive your song should be also. O earth, land where the minstrel's feet doth trod, sing out loud because the Lord's servant has blessed you with His New Songs unto his Lord and walked His songs over thee. Every where his feet have stepped there is the melodic remains of the Love of God.
Your Song is Jesus!
Psalm 96:2 – “Sing unto the LORD, bless His name; shew forth His salvation from day to day”.
O wandering minstrel, as you travel through your life's adventure, sing your song ...sing it to an audience of One; intentionally and intensively adore His name, His reputation, His Fame, His glory; Bear the news, announce the news, gladden those around you with His Good News … Declare it as Good News of His victorious deliverance that brings eternal prosperity in the arms of His Salvation – bring it a days journey to another days journey every day and every way!
Your song is the Good News, and the Good News is Jesus!
(Psalm 96:6 – Honour and majesty are before Him: strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.”) When I opened my tear filled eyes … I found myself there … in “His” Sanctuary, in “His” pantry, in “His” prayer closet … and there on the shelf were the provisions of promise that I needed to break through the fear of the enemy. In the gaze of this place that radiated the beauty of His face, I would find “Honor “ (the Splendor, the glory and vigor of His life in me) and “Majesty” (the ornament, the steadfast excellency if His love running through me). In His Sanctuary I would once again find “His Strength” and “His Beauty” bestowed upon my fragile frame so that my journey among men would carry the power of the welcoming Grace Heaven. My provision is Jesus!
There is a world that has been numbed by the Destroyer's song of fear and shame. Many hearts have waxed cold and many hearts are failing because of the drone of its sound. God has not abandoned us to raise the white flag to this momentary desolate victory of the cruel. He has not abandoned His new creation, nor cursed His people. So why do we lock away the truth in a pious performance of a counterfeit holiness, that causes the world to be sickened by our vain show of world worthiness and sham wellness. While in the midst of our pretentious worship, we display a repulsive behavior that pushes away the most desperate and the most needy. The Savior's voice too “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden” is all but lost in the dismal clamor of our broken strings, our splintering reeds, our off-synched “slave drum” beat, and our tuneless and pathetic whining.
Abandon this dying realm of fraudulent religious exercise (it isn't getting His attention), and “Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness” as challenged in Psalm 96:9 … (Huh? This is such a misunderstood phrase that ironically brings a hearty robotic reply of “Amen!”out of congregations ... Who wants to appear unknowing or ignorant?) Don't miss this!
Here is a thought on worshiping the Lord in the beauty of holiness:
O let us position our broken dependance and fragile devotion in such a way, that our adornment of God's truth causes others to see the love God has for them: and positions others for the opportunity to receive and reciprocate His love for them. True worship is humbly connecting our every need to God's eternal provision through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and letting the growing abundance of that supply spill joyfully over into the lives others.
Sing our NEW SONG … and Jesus is our Song!
HLFA,
Jeff