Life can become difficult at the best of times, and when life throws us a curve ball, how do we react to it. Many times, when we go through difficulties we tend to move away from God, we focus less on him, our worship and praise unto God, can even at some stage become non – existent.
In Brook Fraser’s – Desert Song she sings –
All of my life in every season you are still God –
I have a reason to sing, I have a reason to worship
There are different seasons that we go through. It’s easy to worship God when we are in a season of blessing, when life is good, when we are in good health. But what happens when difficulties come our way, what happens when we are in situations that demands our lives, and we face uncertainty and trials.
These seasons can last a month, a year, a decade. What this song is telling us today, is that no matter what the season, God is still God. He is still on the throne. No matter what we go through in life, there is always a reason to praise God. There is always a reason to worship God.
Job 11:20-22 (NKJV)
20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” 22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.
In our scripture Job lost everything, he was at a point where his wife asked him “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God & die”. Yet we see in all of this Job understood something, he understood that God was still God. His heart attitude never changed, even at his darkest hour. He was still worshipping God.
Worship unto God is a heart attitude, it’s not based on circumstances, whether God has answered our prayers or not. Worship unto God should ultimately be because he is sovereign, he is the only true and living God.
I love the scripture in Daniel 3, when Daniels friends are brought before Nebuchadnezzar, about the golden statue worship:
Daniel 3:15-18 (NKJV)
15 Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
Can we make that statement today, in the midst of the trials and circumstances? That no matter what we go through, no matter what life throws at us, no matter what persecution comes our way, we will not stop worshipping God.
There a many accounts for us in the bible, where in the midst of persecution, in the midst of great trials and difficulty, men and women that did not compromise on the worship of the true and living God. Today, I want to share three of those with you
1.The widows two mites
Mark 12:41-44 (NKJV)
41 Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. 42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. 43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”
In this story, the widows offering was not about how much she gave, but about the heart in which she gave. Jesus tells us that this woman gave all she had; she gave out of her poverty. It was not about trying to impress but it was about the heart. Despite her being in poverty she was still willing to worship God, with all that she had.
In the times that we are living in, the world is on financial chaos. Many people don’t know whether they will get paid a full salary or not. The corona virus has brough the world on its knees. But that’s the best place to be right now, unless we are on our knees we cannot look up to God, we cannot surrender to God.
We need to come to a place where like the widow, we give out of willing and obedient hearts. During these times of uncertainty, lets continue to worship God through our giving. We need to stop holding on so tightly to our money and possessions, we need to be generous in our giving, not out of abundance but out of a heart that’s surrendered to Jesus Christ.
2. The weeping woman
Luke 7:36-39 (AMP)
36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and He went into the Pharisee’s house [in the region of Galilee] and reclined at the table. 37 Now there was a woman in the city who was [known as] a [a]sinner; and [b]when she found out that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume; 38 and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began wetting His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and [respectfully] kissed His feet [as an act signifying both affection and submission] and [c]anointed them with the perfume. 39 Now when [Simon] the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this Man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching Him, that she is a [notorious] sinner [an outcast, devoted to sin].”
This woman, an outcast in society, a sinner comes to Jesus and we see a moment of worship unto Jesus, and from a person who is rejected by society. She brings the most expensive perfume and anoints Jesus feet with this perfume. This alabaster jar of perfume in current price would cost over a million rand. And this woman worships Jesus with it. She was submitting herself in worship unto God, irrespective of the cost.
Many people face the ridicule, the shame and regret of past sins, mistakes, and the enemy wants to hold that like a loaded gun to our heads. He reminds us of all the wrong that we have done, and what this does is, it takes our focus off God, it takes our attention of God, and we begin focusing on lies and deception.
When man gives us guilty and condemned verdict, the only one who can give us freedom is the one who is moved by our worship. Still being able to worship God even when the world condemns you, comes from a heart of submission and devotion unto a Holy God.
3.Jesus in Agony
Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane was about to be arrested.
Luke 22:41-43 (NKJV)
41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” 43]Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.
Here we see an amazing statement of surrender, even when the odds were stacked against Jesus, even when he was facing death. When Jesus said the words “nevertheless not my will be done but yours” he was giving us the three key aspects of worship unto God:
- Why do we worship God?
God is sovereign, this means that God:
- Is creator of everything
- Omniscient (know all things)
- Is above all things
- There is nothing that he cannot do
- Has full control of all things
- How do we worship God?
We worship God in submission. Its about submitting to the will of God and having the heart of God. Irrespective of what Jesus was going though in the physical, the pain he might have been experiencing, and the agony. He was still willing to submit to the will of the father, that is where true worship begins, in submission. When worship is no longer determined by the flesh but by the Spirit.
- When do we worship God?
Worship unto God is not based on what is going on in our lives, it is based on who God is, we worship God for who he is – Period!!!
When we begin to see worship not as something we do as a schedule, but rather as a lifestyle, we will begin to give God the worship that he deserves. And worship that forms part of every aspect of our lives. We are to worship God, in our:
- Minds – when our mindsets and thinking tell us that we cannot give to God in worship because we don’t have enough, When we think that if we give we will not have for ourselves (remind yourselves of the widow with two mites)
- Emotions – our emotions get the better of us sometimes and the accusations of the world pull us away from worshipping God. God is the only one that can set us free from the accusations of the world, from the shame, regret & mistakes of the past. Jesus can set you free from emotional suicide. Come to him in worship (remind yourselves of the weeping woman)
- Will – The only way to have the perfect will of the father manifest in our lives, is to submit to his will. When we submit to the will of the father, we are submitting our hearts to him, we begin to worship God not the flesh anymore, but by the Spirit.(let us remind ourselves of Jesus in the garden)
So, when all of hell throws itself at you, continue to worship God.
When you are at your lowest moments in life, continue to worship God.
Remember – HE IS STILL GOD.
Feel free to comment or share a testimony
Trevor Naidoo
25.04.2020
The Potter's House Church 