Worship While You Wait
My arms hung limply at my sides. I
longed to pull my people close and whisper prayers of encouragement in their
ears as I hugged them. But it was forbidden. No physical contact. The authorities
called it 'social distancing' so we can hopefully ‘bend the curve’ of this global
pandemic. We were still allowed to hold services at our church (which turned
out to be our last) but could not even shake hands. Hand sanitizer stations
were sprinkled throughout the church building. We did not pass the offering
plate but rather had a drop box at the back. Everyone just sort of awkwardly
greeted one another. How close is too close? I wonder if so and so is infected.
Oh no, did you hear them sneeze?!
The next day I started coming down
with a head cold. It wasn’t long before my sinuses were infected. This meant
not only could I not hug people I could not even go out, except for walks, if I
made sure to keep a wide berth between me and anyone I came across. I entered a
10-day isolation period. I am not extremely extroverted, but I am definitely
not an introvert, nor am I an ‘inner hermit’. I think those were the longest 10
days of my life!
So, what did I do to occupy myself
for those 10 days of waiting? I wish I could say that I read through the entire Bible and
wrote 20 devotionals. But alas my accomplishments are as follows: I did spend a
lot of time on social media. I started re-working an old piano song to try and
keep my fingers agile and my mind sharp. I did do some reading, lots of video
chatting with family and friends, I napped more than ever. I sat at the piano
and played and sang worship songs more than I usually do. My husband and I
watched some movies and some of our favourite tv shows. Yeah, not a very
glorious list.
Perhaps I have already said this in
previous blogs, but it feels like Alberta has been preparing for war. We are
basically ready and now are just sitting and waiting for the ‘bombs’ to start
dropping. What an eerie uneasy feeling. I’ve been listening to Dr. Henshaw and
Premier Kenny give their daily reports as to the severity of the COVID-19
outbreak in our province, country, and the world. I can do nothing in my own
power to stop this plague. However, there is one thing I CAN do as I wait. I can
worship the God who knows, the God who loves, the God who has some pretty good
ideas for how to bring good out of this curse. I can command my soul to rest as
I wait for God to unveil his plan, as I wait for him to reveal what my part is to play in this drama. Notice all the references to waiting in the following
scriptures.
“I wait
quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. He alone is my rock and my
salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken.” (Psalm 62:1–2, NLT)
“Let all that I
am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.” (Psalm 62:5, NLT)
“Yet I am
confident I will see the Lord’s
goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for
the Lord. Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:13–14, NLT)
“But those who wait
upon God get fresh strength. They
spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and
don’t get tired,
they walk and don’t lag behind.” (Isaiah 40:31, The Message)
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your
faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord
is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in
him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the
salvation of the Lord.” (Lamentations
3:22–26, NIV84) [emphasis mine]
Waiting requires trust. It is an exercise in relying on God. It is actually an act of worship because we are acknowledging that God is in control. I
have found that people everywhere worship differently. Some love to read the
Word of God. Some prefer to listen to messages while others would rather sing or listen to worship songs. Some worship best if they are away from the busyness of life and
get out in nature. It matters not how we worship but that we
worship God. Worship is one of the best ways of pushing back the darkness of
fear and anxiety. It is acting on what we believe and not just speaking it out.
If
you are one who worships more easily when you read scripture here are a few
verses to get you going:
“On your feet
now—applaud God! Bring
a gift of laughter,
sing yourselves into his presence. Know
this: God is God, and God, God. He made us; we
didn’t make him.
We’re his people, his well-tended sheep. Enter
with the password: “Thank you!” Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank
him. Worship him.
For God
is sheer beauty,
all-generous in love, loyal always and
ever.” (Psalm
100, The Message)
“The Lord is my light and my salvation— so
why should I be afraid? The Lord
is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?” (Psalm 27:1, NLT)
Perhaps
you are one who worships better when out in nature. Take some time and get out
there today. Or sit and remember some of your favourite spots, times/places,
where you deeply connected with our Creator. These are a few places where I
have spent meaningful time with Jesus. 
Or maybe for you sitting and listening to worship music ushers
you quickly into the presence of Holy Spirit. At the end of this
blog you will find a few links to songs that help me connect with
him. I hope they will be a starting point for you as well.
So,
while we wait...
*to
see how this whole pandemic is going to turn out
*for
a diagnosis we’re not even sure we want to know
*as
we pray for that wayward child or friend to step into a relationship with Jesus
*for
provision, whatever our needs might be
…let’s
worship our amazing God. Compliment him on what we like about him. Thank him
for all he has done for you. My challenge to you is to see if you can come up
with 5 new things each day you can thank God for. The first few days are
usually a piece of cake but after a few days when we’ve gone through the normal
blessings, like food, clothes, water, bed, family…we have to start digging deeper
to find the blessings. It’s been my experience that it usually takes around 4
or 5 days for me to hit a wall. But then when I press through it is amazing
what I can begin to see. We will see what we are looking for. While we are
waiting, let’s worship our God!
Link to Lincoln Brewster’s song
While I wait:
Jenn Johnson Goodness of God:
Phil Wickham Living Hope
Chris Tomlin Is He Worthy
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