First Response

This morning started out great; we had our worship music playing and everyone was happy and getting along. Then our one year old took quite a fall and scared his brothers and me.

Years ago, my immediate reaction would have been to panic and maybe even take him to the doctor to get him checked out. This morning was different. I scooped him up and started praising Jesus for taking care of him and thanking Him for surrounding Micah with His angels. I started proclaiming that God is our healer, our protector, and refuge.  We sang praise songs as he calmed down and he is fine now. 

Afterwards, I asked our two older boys "what should be our first response when things like this happen?" At the same time one of them said "panic" and the other said "pray." Yes, we often do panic and yes we often do pray but what about worship? 

There is a man in the Bible that I was drawn to during a very difficult and confusing time in my life. Job is his name and his name actually means persecuted. Job lost everything; his livestock, his servants, and even his own children. He lost everything in one day. How did Job respond to this tremendous loss? I'm sure he mourned and wept and grieved over his children but he also worshiped.

In Job 1:20 it says "Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped."

How did he worship when his heart was completely and utterly broken? What would make a man worship God in the midst of such tragedy? I believe the answer is simple. Job knew God. He knew God's character, he had tasted of God's love and goodness and grace and mercy. His worship was about who God is, not his circumstances. Our circumstances change but our God does not.

So how do we get to the place of worship even in the midst of pain? We don't worship God for what He does for us. We worship Him for who He is. No matter the pain, no matter the circumstance, in our darkest hour He is still God, He is still Love, He is still King of kings, He is still the Resurrection and Life, He is still Immanuel, He is still Prince of peace, and He is still worthy to be praised.

I deeply desire my children to experience the Lord, to taste and see that He is good. And I want them to learn how to respond to life. I want them to depend upon the Lord so much so that they automatically respond to any situation with prayer and worship. For them to depend on Jesus, they must see me and their dad depending on Him first. 

"Worship isn't a feeling you wait for, it's a choice you make." - Chris Tomlin