Day #214 - How We Come
The Presence - A Devotional for living in Thanksgiving, Worship and Wonder
“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is the great God, And the great King above all gods.”
Psalms 95:1-3 NKJV
What is your favorite place to sing?
Do you like to sing in the shower? How about in the church? I love to have a song in my heart at all times. I walk around my house and the church and I’m almost always singing or humming some tune of praise. My favorite place to worship God though is with live music. My wife and both love a packed room that shouts and sings with a spirit of celebration to glorify the Lord. There is nothing like a group of people in love with Jesus that boldly express their thanks in joyful songs.
In Psalm 95, we are instructed to sing and to sing joyfully to the Lord, the Rock of our salvation. Then comes the revelation on “the Presence.” We “come before His presence with thanksgiving.” This is how we come before Him. This is how we draw near. We bring God songs of joyful thanksgiving. Because He is the great God and the great King above all gods.
How we come before Him matters. He has given us a way to enter His presence: thanksgiving. Grumbling and complaining will not draw the anointing and nearness of the Holy Spirit. Griping and whining is not the way. But being thankful in any situation has the power to bring you before “the Presence.” This is God’s instruction for us to experience His manifest presence.
We thank God because of who He is. I’ve been through difficult battles with disease and discouragement and you know what? He is still worthy of praise. I can experience Him in any season when I stay thankful. We always have a reason to sing when we think about the One who is “the great King above all gods.” My soul rejoices in this King when I begin to think about how wonderful and powerful my God is. I just want to sing and thank Him. Oh, how quickly He draws near and touches my heart with His presence. I feel His warmth and I never want His presence to leave.
In songs of thanksgiving, this how we come before His presence!
Lord Jesus, You are the Rock of my salvation! You are the great King above all gods! You surpass them all! I shout to You and sing to You with joy. You are my everything. I thank You for my life and for Your grace. Thank You for being my God. Reveal more of Yourself to me that I might praise You more and more! In Jesus name, amen!
Always with thanksgiving for everything!!!! : )