Broken Worship

I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit of a worrier. It’s not something I’m proud of, and it’s something I’m working on…. But I worry. I struggle with anxiety and somedays it overwhelms me. I think sometimes in worship we think it always has to be perfect and pretty, it has to be smiley and encouraging, it has to be jump-up-and-down-and-shout kinda praise. Now I will admit, I love to rejoice in the Lord and have some fun, and there’s nothing wrong with that…But I think we often forget that God wants it all, even our broken worship.

Yes, broken worship. You know the kind. The “I can’t do it anymore, I’m so tired, I’m so worried, I’m so scared, I need you”. The kind where you cry and it doesn’t look too pretty. The kind where you can’t sing anymore because you just sit in the presence of your Father and cry. The kind where you just curl up in His lap, sometimes you speak sometimes you don’t, and you just pour it all out to Him. He listens to you. He wants you to curl up in His lap. You don’t have to be perfect, you don’t have to have it all together like we try to so many times… He wants you as you are.

In the Bible there is a story about a man named Job. Job was a good, God fearing man. He had 7 sons and 3 daughters, lots of animals, Job pretty much had it all. He was very wealthy.

Well, there came a point where Satan started to test Job. Satan took so much away from Job in hopes to get Job to turn His back on God.

Job 1:13-20

13- Now on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 14- a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15- and the Sabeans attacked and took them. They also slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 16- While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 17- While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18- While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19- and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

20- Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and HE FELL TO THE GROUND AND WORSHIPED.”

Now, let’s stop right there.

Job’s children were killed. His babies were suddenly taken from him. Just picture it. Picture the devastation, the brokenness, the pain… But worship was Job’s first response, because I believe He understood that God wants his broken worship. I believe Job understood that he didn’t have to get it all together first. He didn’t have to wait to come before God when he felt a little better. God wanted him right where he was.

Why do we worship? We worship because we serve a God far bigger than any problem we face in this world. We worship because we know Jesus has won the victory. We worship because there’s no greater place than in the arms of God. We worship because He loves us, and we love Him. We worship because He has pursued us, because He runs toward us with arms wide open, and because our problems don’t scare Him away. We worship because he catches every tear and keeps them in a bottle (Psalm 56:8)…because He cares so deeply about every tear we shed. We worship because he wants our broken worship. He wants to comfort us. We worship because He is a good, good father who deeply and fully loves every part of us.

“God loves you right where you are, but He doesn’t want to leave you there.” –Max Lucado

He wants you even at your worst, even at your saddest, even at your lowest… but He also wants to heal you. He wants to free you. He wants to comfort you…Because He loves you.

His Holy Spirit is a gentle comforter.

This morning, as I was sitting in my office praying, I started to become overwhelmed thinking about things that worry me, things that need to get done, things that upset me… and I walked over to my keyboard and I sat down and started singing one of my favorites called “King Of My Heart”. The bridge simply says “You’re never gonna let, never gonna let me down” I sang it over and over. I declared it over my circumstances. I declared it over my life, over my Husband’s life, over our families. I declared it over our future children. I declared it. I started to bawl my eyes out realizing I just needed some time with my Father. Man, I love His presence. I sat there and cried and cried… and sang a little bit… and cried some more. His presence filled my office. It probably didn’t look too pretty, it probably didn’t sound too pretty (cry-singing isn’t typically the prettiest sound…) but I know He was there. I know He heard my broken worship, I know He put His arms around me and loved on me.

Worship turns our focus from our problems, to the problem solver.

So today, no matter what you’re going through. Worship. Pour everything out to Him. You don’t have to get it together first. You don’t have to offer him perfect and pretty worship, He wants the messy stuff too. He can handle it. Surrender everything to Him. He’s waiting for you.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest” Matthew 11:28

God Bless You,

Rose