Victorious Worship In The Middle Of The Battle

It is Sunday morning. Many Christians will be going to worship with other believers today, if they haven't already. Sunday morning worship is a mix of those who are welcoming a child, sitting with those who are burying a child. A row of worshippers may contain a person who just received a promotion as well as someone who was fired on Friday. A musician on the music team may have just received a report of cancer from the doctor while the pastor's wife just got a clean bill of health.

It is impossible to worship apart from our feelings. Feelings aren't bad. God gave them to us. But feelings are not the most important element of our existence. Feelings can be both a stabilizing force, and an impressionable foe. Like any other part of our humanity, our feelings need to be sanctified by the fire of the Holy Spirit.

But since they are near the surface, our feelings are sensitive, and easily touched off. On a day when many people with varied feelings gather to worship a God who has allowed or caused many types of situations to arise and test the faith of His people, it can be a dangerous and difficult environment. 

To the one who is struggling, know that God is not struggling. He is working. He is loving. He is listening. He is hurting with you. And yet, He is winning. And through Him, you win. You may be struggling, hurting, falling, and dying. But you are winning. You are victorious. The enemy seems to be gaining on you, but he is defeated. The brokenness you are dealing with is the ruin of sin. But we know that sin and death have been crushed by the One who endured more brokenness than we will ever endure.

As the Psalmist penned...

Shout triumphantly to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.
Acknowledge that Yahweh is God.
He made us, and we are His — His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him and praise His name.
For Yahweh is good, and His love is eternal;
His faithfulness endures through all generations. (Psalms 100)

The word 'feel' shows up in Scripture about 20 times. The word 'know' shows up about 1220 times. Apparently what you feel is not as important as what you know. Today, you need to stand on what you know, not fall by what you feel.

Here is an anchor truth for you today... God is victorious. We are His kids. We are in His kingdom. We live in His house. We have His inheritance. So we are victorious. If you are a Christian, you are victorious, regardless of your circumstances, because circumstances are not eternal. They will be entirely different next Sunday. But Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He has always been victorious. There has never been a moment when Jesus was not victorious. Those who are in Christ have what He has. So His victory is your victory... whether you feel victorious or not.

It isn't that God doesn't care about your feelings. He just wants you to trust Him more than you trust them. This is just as true for the one who rides into church today on a chariot of blessings. Everything may be going great in your life. Your tears may be tears of overwhelming joy. There's nothing wrong with that. God is the giver of every good and perfect gift. A season of abundance is not bad if it is from God. He loves to bless His children. Just be sure that you are worshiping the God of blessings rather than the blessings themselves. 

The temporal is a siren that would crash us on the rocks of loss or draw us into the sea of lust. We are not temporal. Our bodies are temporal, but the life we have is eternal. We honor the eternal by surrendering the temporal. We bless the temporal by living according to the eternal. 

Today, recognize your feelings, but rise and rest in truth. Shout triumphantly to the Lord, for you are triumphant in Him. Sing joyfully to the Source of your joy. Acknowledge God for Who He is, and who you are in Him. Praise Him for His faithful goodness, love and care.

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