March 1st, 2023
Affirming The Lord
Nehemiah - “Ezra stood on the platform in full view of all the people. When they saw him open the book, they all rose to their feet. Then Ezra praised the Lord, the great God, and all the people chanted, ‘Amen! Amen!’ as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.” (Nehemiah 8:5-6)
DAILY DEVOTION
The Israelites were amazed by what the Lord had done for them. They showed their appreciation to the Lord in their worship. In a similar way, we should be amazed at what the Lord has done in our lives. We should be so appreciative of Him that we worship Him fervently. The Bible says that “The Lord is great and deserves our greatest praise! He is the only God worthy of our worship.” (1 Chronicles 16:25 CEV). Jesus said that we should love and worship the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30) which means that we’re to be passionate, purposeful, and productive in our private and public worship services.
We can worship the Lord in many different ways. First, we can worship the Lord by praising Him with our lips. Of the Lord, King David writes “All of Your works will thank You, Lord, and Your faithful followers will praise You. They will speak of the glory of Your kingdom; they will give examples of Your power. They will tell about Your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory or Your reign. (Psalm 10-12). Second, we can worship the Lord by singing to Him. The Psalmist writes, “Let us come to Him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to Him.” (Psalm 95:2). Next, we can worship the Lord by clapping our hands and shouting His praise. The Bible says in Psalm 47, Come, everyone! Clap your hands! Shout to God with joyful praise!” (Psalm 47:1) We can also worship the Lord by lifting our hands. King David also writes, “I will praise You as long as I live, lifting up my hands to You in prayer.” (Psalm 63:4). Another way we can worship the Lord is by bowing before Him. The Psalmist writes, “Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker.” (Psalm 95:6). Finally, we can worship the Lord by giving generously to Him. The Psalmist writes, “Give to the Lord the glory He deserves! Bring your offering and come to worship Him.” (Psalm 96:8).
FOLLOW UP ACTIVITY
Ask yourself the following questions: What changes do I need to make to become a more faithful and fervent worshiper of the Lord? When was the last time I spoke of the great things the Lord has done? How often do I sing to Him? Do I ever clap my hands and shout His praise? Am I ever ashamed to lift my hands to Him in worship? Do I ever bow before Him in worship? Do I bring Him offerings in a spirit of worship? After asking these questions of yourself, write out a prayer to the Lord, asking Him to lead you to become a Christian who worships Him in spirit and in truth. If you’re leading your family through this worship time, guide them through each of the above questions and then pray as a family, asking the Lord to help your family more fully express their worship of Him.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, help me worship You more fully. Help me affirm You for who You are and for all that You do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.