Make a Joyful Noise!

It’s been a long time since I have blogged, and I am a bit rusty, but here it goes!  Let's start out with a verse of scripture, can't go wrong there!

 

Psalm 100 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!  Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!  Know that  the Lord, He is God! It is he who made us, and we are His; we are His  people, and the sheep of His pasture.  Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise!  Give thanks to Him; bless His name!  For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.

 

Over the last week I have been meditating on this passage and have really marveled at how simple, profound and yet revelatory this passage is.  

 

"A joyful noise" - If you heard my singing, you probably wouldn't consider it joyful, but it's all I have and when I sing to the Lord it is joyful!

 

"Serve the Lord with gladness" - As a pastor, this is a tough one, but generally, only when I begin to rely on my own strength and wisdom and knowledge, etc.  There is nothing quite like the ministry, with all of it's "high's" there can be some incredible lows.

 

Thankfully, those are far and few between and I have come to realize that the “lows" are necessary to insure that my reliance is solely on Father God. That is how you get to the next part of the verse!

 

"Know the Lord, He is God" - All of my sufficiency is found in Him, apart from Him I can do nothing, despite what my mind tries to tell me.  All of the tools in my toolbox are worthless, unless it is His hands that guide me, as I partner with Him and He shapes and molds me into whom He has created me to be.  

 

Knowing Him is awesome, frightening (in a reverent way) and fun all at once.  I am His, He made me and I am just one of the sheep of His pasture.  Just scratching the surface on this part, but simply knowing that, as my Shepherd He will lead me to greener pastures is humbling.  

 

Here is where I am right now -  "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise!" - Just the other day, I was headed back from meetings in Southlake and when I arrived at the church offices, it dawned on me that I had forgotten my laptop at home.  At first a little frustrated, I sensed that the Holy Spirit was giving me the opportunity to spend time with the Lord.  I walked into the sanctuary and turned up the stereo to listen to some worship.  I began by thinking that I would walk around the sanctuary and pray over the chairs and the church, etc.  God had other plans!  

 

About two rows into it, I sensed the Holy Spirit nudge me and very gently say, "That’s not why you are here".  I stopped and just began to worship and praise, it was just me in this big room and I was making the best joyful noise I could.  People driving by, might have heard what sounded like a cat being repeatedly beaten with a stick, but to my Father it was joyful. 

 

I worshipped and praised for about a CD and a half and the Presence of the Lord filled the room, it was incredible!  I not only knew the Fear of the Lord, I felt it!  I sat down, opened my bible and began reading; the Word of God was rich and seemed to just pour out over me.  

 

I began to pray and sensed the Holy Spirit speak this to my heart.  "Eddie, you have done well in giving Me thanks, and you have done very well in making your request known, yet you have not praised me for who I AM!"  "Praise Me!" There were only two of us in that room, God and me, and the sense of awe was palatable!  I was humbled beyond words and didn't want to say or do anything that would ruin the moment.  

 

Finally, I repented to God for not giving Him the praise He so deserves and with all of my heart joined in with the CD, still blaring through the speakers. I praised my God for all I was worth. No agenda, no prayer request, just praise.  How simple it is, yet the results cannot be measured by human reasoning.  

 

I am still working my way through this passage, and have no doubts that I have only scratched the surface to the deep revelation that it has in store for me. That’s my story and I am sticking to it!  I am ready to make a joyful noise and open my mouth with thanksgiving and praise... What about you?