While thinking about this week’s blog, the words ‘praise’ and ‘worship’ came to mind as did ‘Psalm 92’ so at 2:00am Sunday morning, I read Psalm 92:
“Praise to the Lord for His Love and Faithfulness
A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath day.
92 It is good to give thanks to the Lord, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; 2 to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night, 3 On an instrument of ten strings, on the lute, and on the harp, with harmonious sound.
4 For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands. 5 O Lord, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep.
6 A senseless man does not know, nor does a fool understand this. 7 When the wicked spring up like grass, and when all the workers of iniquity flourish, It is that they may be destroyed forever. 8 But You, Lord, are on high forevermore. 9 For behold, Your enemies, O Lord, for behold, Your enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered… 12 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing, 15 to declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.”
One of the two words, praise and worship, was defined.
Then in church Pastor Jared preached on what it means to worship the only true, holy, and sovereign God! 
He titled his message “The Heart of Worship.” Wow! Two for two, I thought.
Pastor Jared elaborated by quoting Hebrews 12:28: “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe…” He went on to say that the heart of worship is to be grounded in the Word of God. Our posture (whether we kneel, stand, or sit) or the place where we worship (whether at church or at home) is not the important thing. What is most important is the condition of our spiritual hearts. Do we worship Him with joyful hearts? Do we fear God because we know who He is and what He has done to save us? Do we sing songs with grace in our hearts? Do we have a deep reverence for God who is holy, holy, holy? Do we have joy in or hearts because of His great love for us and the salvation He offers to those who believe?
Pastor Jared went on to say that our worship of God on earth should be in preparation to worshipping him in heaven. It is like rehearsing for eternity in Jesus’ unshakable kingdom in shaken times. After all we, as believers, are transferred from the domain of darkness to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. For all eternity. Think about that. Visualize it!
Praise and worship. It is as though the psalmist stepped into the 21st century with Psalm 92 and shared the pulpit with Pastor Jared who gave his message on worship. And it is as though you read the psalm with me in the middle of the night and six and a half hours later attended church with me!
With all that is going on in the world, and especially in Minneapolis, it is good to take time out to just praise and worship God. Be refreshed as you praise and worship the true God, and may you be blessed to have His joy fill your hearts once again.