Have you ever just closed your eyes and worshiped the Lord? Maybe you were standing in the bathroom combing your hair when a beautiful song came on or maybe you were in church during worship, but wherever you were, you felt so moved that you just threw your hands in the air, closed your eyes, and through tears and joy and laughter and sorrow, you just thanked the Lord and praised the Lord and felt like it was just you and the Lord for at least a few seconds. What an AWESOME feeling! It’s a feeling that you want everyone to feel, but it’s also so hard to describe that it’s tough to convince people that that feeling actually exists. It’s a deep connection with the Holy Spirit, and every single person on earth has the ability to make this connection. I think that’s where the Israelites were as they broke out in worship while standing there on the safe side of the Red Sea. They had just seen God pull off a string of events that would go down in the history books, for sure, and I think as they are standing there watching dead bodies wash up on the seashore, it may have finally hit them: “Wow. God did all this for me.” That’s a pretty freaking humbling realization right there. That’s how we should feel when we worship God – joyful yet humble, two emotions that when felt together can produce an unmeasurable amount of tears and laughter. We can look at Jesus’ life and death in the same way the Israelites watched those dead Egyptians washing up to where they stood, safe on the beach. Through that silence, we can hear God whisper loudly through His own tears and frustration, “THIS is what it takes to get your attention and gain your faith.”
Sadly, however, us present-day humans don’t remember these feelings for long. The Israelites were no different. After meeting with God through song and praise and worship, and after seeing firsthand the miracles (and destruction) of which God is capable, the Israelites only make it three days before they start grumbling again. God saves them, but notice that He doesn’t just automatically save them. He saves them because Moses prayed for Him to save them. Some people doubt God because they are under the impression that God should just do something miraculous to prove He is who He is, but I believe if those people would just throw up a prayer – a genuine, heartfelt, show-me-who-you-are-God P.R.A.Y.E.R. – they would hear from God a lot quicker than if they just sit around whining, waiting for Him to show up. That sort of reminds me of the scene in Forrest Gump when Sgt. Dan dared God to show up, and by golly, He did. Just like God kept answering the Israelites, no matter how many times they messed up, as long as they kept coming back to Him and asking Him directly, God kept answering. He will do the same for us.
Writing prompt: worship
Write a letter to God today. Praise God. Worship Him through words. When you finish writing it, read it out loud to God. Open your heart to hearing His voice, and listen for his response during your one-on-one time with Him.
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