Strength From Worship

By Charity Pence

This Week’s Verse: Psalm 92:1- 2, “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your loving kindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night.” (NKJV)

Devotion:
Praise is something God calls us to do. Ever wonder why? Psalm 9:10 says, “And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.” I love worship time. Whether at church or in my car, I enjoy spending time praising God. However, I’ve never given much thought about what I get out of it. I do it because I enjoy it and it makes me feel closer to my Heavenly Father. This past week, God taught me an important lesson.

I have a forty mile drive to work each morning. During that time, I listen to a Christian radio station and I usually sing along to the songs that play. On one particular morning last week, though, the station was not coming in. In the past, my first reaction would have been to change the station and listen to something else. But I knew if I did that, I would be missing out on my time with God. Therefore, I shut the radio off and prayed for a while. (Don’t worry, I didn’t close my eyes! ) After I prayed, I sang part of a worship song that came to mind. I repeated the lines a few times and then turned the radio back on. Lo and behold, the station was now coming in! What I didn’t realize was God knew I needed to be built up, to receive strength, for something I was about to be faced with at work.

One of the first things I do when I get to my office is check my email. On this morning, there was a message from one employee regarding another employee whose wife had given birth to a little boy just a few short hours earlier. The little boy was named Cameron James. I’ll tell you why this is significant. My husband and I have always wanted children. We’ve had the names picked out for almost eight years, but we have yet to be blessed with kids. This is something I struggle with on a daily basis and God knows that. He knows the desires of my heart and the heartbreak I have felt. So real is my desire for children that I can easily imagine them running around my house. And one of those little boys is a Cameron James, or CJ for short. I do not begrudge others their kids, I am not jealous of others who have been so blessed. But it is often difficult for me to see parents interacting with their children without feeling sad. That being the case, I am certain I would have broken down at work if I had not spent that extra time with God while driving. Thankfully, my Heavenly Father knew what I would need and strengthened me so that when I received the email, instead of asking why someone else had a little Cameron James when I did not, I was able to send a congratulatory response and let the employee know he and his wife had picked a great name. And then I went on with my day. God never ceases to amaze me!

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for knowing my heart. Thank You for strengthening me and preparing me for the difficult times I am faced with. I pray that we all will allow Your peace to settle around our broken hearts. You are the great healer, Lord, and in You I will continue to put my trust. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Applications: When singing worship songs, do you truly worship our Lord? Use your time with our Heavenly Father to rest in His presence and allow Him to prepare you for whatever challenge you may be facing.

Power Verses:
Hebrews 13:5, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” (NKJV)
Psalm 55:17, “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.” (KJV)
Lamentations 3:25, “The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him.” (KJV)