Worship should happen not only when we are happy, or sad, or rejoicing, or crying, but it should also happen when we don't feel like it.

I have a friend preaching tomorrow, Pentecost Sunday. Tomorrow, I'm leading worship in our church. Both of us have had long weeks, with lots of problems. Frankly, I don't know if I'm up for leading worship, and I imagine he feels stressed and worried about preaching.

However, we weren't called to minister/worship/preach/witness when we feel good. In fact, Paul discusses this in 2 Corinthians 3 and 4, and this has been my mediation today.

Its too long to quote as a whole, but these are my words of comfort this afternoon.

"BUT we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body."

Today, I am perplexed, I definetly feel forsaken, but I'm not despairing, and I've not been destroyed. I know that I'm dying a slow death to myself as I walk in ministry, in music, in worship, in teaching, in counseling, in serving others, in hospitality. HOWEVER, I know that the power to continue, the Gospel power that I have is from God and not from me, and so I continue to serve, love, sing, teach, and most importantly worship.

As I opened my Bible to find the passage quoted above, it opened to Is 64, a comfort in time of need.

"...that the nations may tremble at your presence! When you did awesome things which we did not expect, You came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. For from of old, they h ave not heard nor perceived by hear, Neither has the eye seen a God besides you, Who acts on behalf of the one who waits for Him. You meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness, who remembers You in your Ways.......

For this reason, we are pushed beyound all recognition, but God, the Great I Am, will never forget us nor forsake us.

Come Lord Jesus Come.

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