Seeking Christ

Choose Worship Over Worry Because Our God is Worthy

On March 22, 2020 by Reading Time: 3 minutes

I gotta admit, sometimes this pandemic freaks me out.

Every day I work to read what God says before I read the words of the President, the CDC, and Italy.

Just when I think I conquered the fear of the pandemic, I receive a private message, with an explicit command embedded inside, “be scared out of your wits.”

I immediately feel terrorized.

My head heats, my heart races and my guts demand a trip to the toilet.

Am I the only person who has such a strong physical response?

I spent time in the Word of God five hours earlier and had just reminded myself and a friend of the sovereignty and goodness of our God minutes before. Even so, I’ve got to lean into God again because my body can’t take this news.

I don’t want to obey the command to be scared out of my wits. I don’t want to bow to Fear.

I turn up the worship music loud and lift my hands in praise.

I declare what is true at the top of my lungs.

There is no other name like Jesus.
There will be another in the fire standing next to me.
There will be another in the waters holding back the seas.
Nothing stands between me and my God.

I’m filled with gratitude for my lungs! They are made for this very act of breathing out truth. My bones rejoice, move and dance along.

I get a Sharpie and write God’s Words on the white frame of my front door

Romans 14:7-8 If I live, I belong to Christ. If I die, I belong to Christ.

I do that because I’m a woman desperate to make God’s truth known to every fiber of my being, to force every fiber to fear only My Creator like a wise daughter fears a good and powerful father.

The worst that could happen is that I’m separated from God and that is the only thing I know could never happen to me.

I go outside and walk two miles, forty minutes, in the dark and talk to my Daddy, the King of kings.

Oh Father, you are sovereign and you are good and you are Love. Your kingdom come. Your will be done. Include me in that. Thank you for my bread today. I will trust you for tomorrow’s.

A friend broadcasts a message, “We are choosing worship over worry in our household tonight.”

Yes! I want to be a woman who chooses like that.

The next morning, I go outside and walk two miles, forty minutes, in the light with a dear friend who walks well with God and is willing to walk with me. I share my struggle and ask if she’s scared at all.

I watch her mind consider for a split second before she answers confident and strong, “No, I’m not.” She throws her head back and her hands up high in explanation, “Just look at the trees! And the sky! God is so good! God is so faithful!”

I smile big inside and know she’s right.

The next night I tune into corporate worship with my church. I’ve been choosing worship to fight fear for over 24 hours now, but immediately, fresh words rise within me and I worship for a different reason.

I’m choosing worship over worry because my God is worthy.

These words speak such truth I must make them a title.

For weeks my mind has been on Phinehas from Numbers 25. Zealous for God to be honored, he drove a spear right through a rebel and saved the Israelites from a plague.

Fear is a rebel. He wears a crown and masquerades as a king, commanding God’s people to be scared out of their wits. I want to be like Phinehas and run him through with The Sword (the word of God) until he’s dead.

Our God is worthy of our confidence;
    I have no doubt in his victorious right hand!
Our God is worthy of our trust;
    I have no doubt He is with his people as He said!
Our God is worthy of our zeal for his honor;
    May we run every invisible rebel through with the word of God!

A Prayer

Lord, we choose worship over worry because you are so very worthy.
Help us to lean into your Word and your people so we don’t forget your sovereignty. You are the one who’s in ultimate control. And as D.A. Carson teachers in the book New City Catechism –

When we remember your sovereignty,
    let us not forget your goodness.
And when we remember your goodness,
    let us not forget your holiness and judgement.
And when we remember your holiness and judgement,
    let us not forget you are Love.

***

Featured Photo by Allen Taylor on Unsplash

Written by

8 comments

It blesses me to hear from you! Please leave a reply here.

%d bloggers like this: