Worship During the Worst

Jesus elaborated on the importance of worship as He spoke with the woman at the well.  In John 4,
we read that He told her:
23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

The Scriptures prescribe how we are to enter the presence of God through worship.  We can come before Him with singing, or we can share words of honor and thanksgiving to Him - spoken worship. We can come before Him kneeling down or standing up and lifting up our hands and our hearts to Him.  In humility, we come before Him and gain His perspective and glean a sense of His presence, which can help to sustain us in times of difficulty.

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Even in the trials we face, the Lord invites us to come into His presence and to worship Him. In the 92nd Psalm, we read these words:
(1b) It is good to give thanks to the Lord, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night,
3 On an instrument of ten strings, On the lute, And on the harp, With harmonious sound.
4 For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands.

We know that our faith can be strengthened as we read and study God's Word.  We also know that our connection with the Lord can be enhanced through our worship.  And, while worship is certainly a lifestyle that is a composite of so many practices of the Christian faith, we know that music is a dominant way in which worship is expressed.

I believe music is God's idea, and in this trying time, He is using music and musical artists to provide hope and perspective, and for Christians, through worship, He is bringing people into His presence.

There are quite a few instances, and the numbers are growing.  Recently, worship leader and Faith Radio artist Chris Tomlin appeared on a podcast with non other than NBA star Steph Curry and his wife Ayesha.  According to CBN.com, Tomlin performed his song, Good, Good Father, and, on Instagram, declared, "What a beautiful evening of worship..."  He went to thank the Currys for "inviting me to be a part of this moment and thank you to all those who welcome me into your home tonight," adding, "Let us continue to remember that our God is a good, good Father."

The Smallbone brothers, Joel and Luke, who comprise for KING and COUNTRY, featured band members and band friends in a special musical livestream concert.  Jesus Freak Hideout reports that:

“TOGETHER: A Night of Hope” featured an exclusive for KING & COUNTRY performance with Australian brothers, Joel and Luke Smallbone, and their bandmates from their respective homes presenting six songs, including one never-before-released tune, via split-screen. It was important for the duo to be “together” with their fans and bring a sense of hope during this unprecedented time.

A future Meeting House guest, with whom I spoke at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Nashville, Erskin Anavitarte, is quoted in a recent Baptist Press article, which says, "Without the usual travel, Anavitarte said he has prioritized his online presence, which he does not have as much time to do while on the road...He is still ramping up to deliver content -- just in different ways. Some ideas include a morning show covering cultural topics and the Gospel, online live music shows and new music releases."

Anavitarte said he is motivated to continue focusing on getting the Gospel to those who desperately need to hear it.

"I just follow Jesus, and I just serve Him," he said. "I just want to tell people about Jesus, and it doesn't matter whether I do that from here, or I'm traveling around the world.

The article goes on to say:

Anavitarte said he believes the interruption to normal life brought by the COVID-19 pandemic could be God's way of bringing individuals closer to Himself.

"There's a comfort zone that we all like to live in," he said. "When that gets interrupted it is jarring for us, but we learn to find God in the midst of all of those transitions."

Some principles to consider in light of these musical events:

Read the Psalms.  Contained within we know the thoughts of a man who yearned for God, someone who experienced great joy and sadness in his life, and whose words can penetrate our souls.  We see that he was a man of reflection, but also of devotion and worship.  David, who wrote many of the Psalms, shows us our proper spiritual posture in suffering.

Music is a tool.  It is a vehicle through which we can experience the presence of God.  When we sing to the Lord or surround ourselves with uplifting music that exalts the Lord, we can shift our focus and we can be encouraged by Him.  When we are discouraged, we can enter in to His presence and gain a sense of His heart and His might.

Seek to use creative outlets.  Maybe there are creative ways that you can use in order to express your love for God or to experience Him more fully.  Or you can find ways in which you can reach out to encourage others.  The Lord has not called us to this time of isolation in order to just be idle - we can seek to find how He wants to express Himself through us.