Worship - Our First Response?

(Bible journaling by someone else)

Job 1: 10-12: Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”  12 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”

I'll call this next section, "Round 1."  Messenger after messenger came, before the previous one was done speaking another arrived and told Job of yet another calamity - each one being life-altering experiences.  Three different occurrences against his livestock where they were either stolen (Job 1: 15, 17), or burned (v. 16); his servants were killed at all three of these blows and finally, a monstrous blow to Job, all of his children were killed (v. 19).  

There is no preparing for some news: the dreaded call from the doctor, the news your family is being broken through divorce, death, expected is hard; unexpected death is debilitating.  

For some of us, we see different seasons of our lives as times of hardship, growth, or misery but for most of us, the season ends and with it, we find new life.  Some of us have one long season of pain - chronic pain with no end in sight.  

I am in a new and different place right now.  It is unknown and uncomfortable and honestly, I like the known and I am a tad embarrassed to admit it, but I am partial to comfort.  

I am strategically praying for God to move in some mighty ways regarding this crazy financial situation we find ourselves in (broke; not poor), and I selfishly pray that I will not succumb to asking God, "Why?" and question His ability to care for us.  You see, what Job does right after hearing that all of his children are dead, is worship God: 

20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,    and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;    may the name of the Lord be praised.”

22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

While all of these verses are worthy of attention, particularly worship being the first response when we are hit with life-rocking news, God keeps drawing me to verse 22, not charging God with wrongdoing.  While this little bit from the entire book is not an exegesis by any form, it is where God spoke to me today and reminded me what I should be doing now:

1) WORSHIP GOD

2) Do NOT complain to God about what He is doing - this would be charging God with wrongdoing. 

3) PRAY

4) Give thanks - live eucharisteo!     

I do not know where you are today, but if you, like me, have been knocked down and are trying to figure out where your life is going, just stop and spend time worshiping God.  You will not regret the time spent in worship; at least I don't.  Even though I have a list that needs done a mile long, worship realigns my heart to God's and if nothing else changes, that is more than I could ask for and more than I deserve.   

Here is a two-hour set of worship songs (with lyrics) for you to sing along with.  Just click on the arrow:

 #worship #eucharisteo