How Worship Conquers Crisis

Turning your attention to the One who promises to never leave or forsake you, Who fights every battle for you, and has already conquered death on your behalf.

Worship is a story told in two parts: first, we understand what God is worth, and second, we return to God what He is worth.

More on that in a moment.

When trials and crisis enter your life, how do you respond? The Bible seems to be clear that our response should be worship.

The Psalmist recounts the excellencies of our Creator.

For the LORD is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.
(Psalm 95:3-7 ESV)

Worship, which might best be understood as the act of ascribing ultimate value to something, is the only right respond once we understand the value of our God. Worship is from the old English word, “Worth-ship,” and the psalmist is calling us to see what God is worth and then give God what He’s worth.

Here is what I know. The world isn’t divided into worshipers and non-worshipers. No. We all worship something. It is divided into people who worship things that lead to destruction and those who worship the only true One who is worthy of our worship.

Our God is “a great King above all gods.”

Becky Pippert says it best: “Whatever controls us is our lord. The person who seeks power is controlled by power. The person who seeks acceptance is controlled by acceptance. We do not control ourselves. We are controlled by the lord of our lives.” (Out of the Salt Shaker)

Your entire life is oriented by the thing or person you worship.

Relationships fail.

Jobs are lost.

Sickness comes.

If you worship these things your world will tumble into crisis.

Which is why your ultimate problem isn’t the inevitable crisis. Your ultimate problem is what you worship. And if the affections of your worship are directed toward Jesus you can find peace in the storm. It will change your desires!

Psalms 42:1-2, “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”

We worship the one true God because we all worship something, and everything else will distort your life.

Worship isn’t about music or style. Worship isn’t about location and lyrics. Instead, worship is about lifting your voice, countenance, hands to the hills where your help comes from. How do we push through our seasons of crisis and trouble? You continually turn your attention to the One Who promises to never leave or forsake you, Who fights every battle for you, and has already conquered death on your behalf.