Serenading God
by Samantha Sivils
"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks." John 4:23
Lots of nights when I am having difficulty falling asleep my loving husband will stroke my hair and begin singing to me. His song of choice is usually "To Make You Feel My Love." As he sings it I feel admired, adored, at peace, and am calmed. Most nights I am soothed to sleep. I know the words he sings are true... he would go to any depth to show his love for me.
A few nights ago it came to me that this is what praise and worship is to God. It shows Him our love and admiration. It shows Him our heart and our heart's desire.
Webster's defines "serenade" as: A complimentary performance given to honor or express love for someone. When we serenade our Lord and Creator we are honoring Him. When we worship together in church even though it is heart felt it is to a degree expected because it is part of the service. But when we do it when life is caving in around us, when we are worn and tired, when we don't feel we can go on another minute it becomes sacrifice... a "complimentary performance." It's in those times that it shows that it comes from our heart and it truly brings Him honor as we express our love to Him.
Christ expressed His love for us by dying on the cross for our sins. We should live daily to express our love for Him through our actions, through our words, and in our lives. When we do this worshipping Him becomes easy. Praising Him becomes a lifestyle. The songs we sing become more than pretty words... they become our heart-felt response to His love for us.
Next time you are singing consider what you are doing. Are you participating in a service or are you showing your Master and Savior your love for Him?
