Get your praise on…

How can we get into the presence of the Lord and not be moved by Him.  How can we be called to enter His courts with praise but have no praise on our lips or hearts?  If there is one thing that I love about Swaziland it is their passion to worship the Lord.  If you knew their stories, if you saw their heartache, if you witnessed their struggles, their hardships, their losses, their poverty you would wonder why they come into His presence with a mighty sound of praise.  I believe they are offering a sacrifice of praise- one that is deserved by a Holy God who says “these light and momentary trouble are achieving for us a glory that outshines them all” a God who says “do not lose heart, for I have overcome” I loving God who promises “to cast your cares upon Him because He cares for you” and a God who blesses our obedience to Him by giving of Himself and His character (one being joy)… “the joy of the Lord is our strength.” 

So, let me just say that if you ever heard of the movie “White man can’t jump” well if they made another one about me it would be called “white girl can’t dance.”  This past Sunday I had a burning in my spirit to get up and dance and praise the Lord with my brothers and sisters.  I didn’t care about my rhythm (or lack there of) or two left feet all that mattered was that I wanted to rejoice in the presence of my God.

I love the fact that it doesn’t matter what color you are, what your ethnic background is, if you are poor or wealthy, if you are young or old or if you believe in baptism by sprinkling or submersion- God says that He inhabitants the praises of His children.  I always joke with my African friends saying that we need to get use to worshipping God together on earth because there won’t be a separate heaven for Africans and Americans (:  I love to worship with them because it is a glimpse of heaven.

This past Sunday I encouraged the body that one of the greatest weapons of warfare is praise.  If you are tired and weary when you begin to offer up praise that joy becomes your strength- your spirit grows strong and you don’t recognize your flesh is weak as the word says “my spirit is willing but my flesh is weak.”  The amplified bible says “be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold.”  If we allow anything in our lives to keep us from praising the Lord and we allow ourselves to be distracted by those things than they become a stronghold and appear bigger than God.  The Lord is our stronghold so we should be able to praise no matter what because we know whose we are and that we are on the winning side.

A few weeks ago I was watching a thunder storm outside and I was amazed at how the thunder does exactly what it is suppose to do. Everything in creation does what it is designed to do, do we?  We were created to give glory to God yet so many times we do everything but that.  The Lord died for us- we are the creation He gave His life for and we should be crying out much more than any rock or thunder storm.

There is a new song in my heart- it is singing to an audience of one (His name is Jesus).  Worship is my response to what God has done- He has changed my life – He has given me new life in Him.  Every chance I get I worship with my Swazi friends.  We celebrate Jesus together- we honor Him- we recognize Him as the King of Swaziland- of our lives and hearts.