Monday, April 8, 2013

Hands Up....

I have always been a little thrown off by hands up in worship...
God has been showing me different things about it.

I was driving to church a few weeks ago, with my hands sticking out of the sunroof.
I was drying my freshly painted nails, not both, one at a time.
This is not rare for me, nor has it been for years. 
I think of it as "God's Natural Nail Drying System."
In this scenario, I am not the slightest bit phased by onlookers and puzzled faces.

When I arrived I was in a room filled with people worshipping. 
Some had hands up and others that were worshipping just as intently, 
with their hands in their pockets.

“I tell you,” He replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
But He said, “If they kept quiet, the stones would do it for them, shouting praise.” ~Luke 19:40 

(Aka, your own hands, drying nails out sunroof are doing it)

"The Lord says, these people come near to Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. 
Their worship of me is based on merely human rules." ~Isaiah 29:13,14

After reading this, I was quickly reminded, worship no matter what it "looks" like, 
it is between me and God. I need to stop focusing on HOW I am worshipping and start focusing on WHO I am worshipping.
the rest will take care of itself.

 Later in the day, I looked up- 
I was surrounded by a visual that could be created only by God Himself.

"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." ~Isaiah 55:12





All of this to say, no matter how you worship...reach for Him.

No matter how your day is going...reach for Him.
He has proven time and time again...He will be there and will immediately grab you right back!

"Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him" -Matthew 14:31a


It doesn't matter if you see the old school Episcopalian....head down & hands clasped...
or someone with stretched out arms. Reaching is seen by God and God alone.

God, Thank You for responding to our reach....no matter how it looks.

In His Dust,
DCC

1 comment:

Toni Casteel said...

Precious Debbie, this was so wonderful! I know people (I'm Baptist) who feel very threatened when they see raised hands in worship -- some have left for other churches because of it! Alas, I was one of those who got "uncomfortable" when I would see the raised hand. But then I got a case of the "can't help-its" -- had to show the Lord how much I needed Him, loved Him, depended on Him -- and my hands just shot up!
Somehow, I think God was not offended. Your message here was definitely on point.
Missed see you this weekend -- we're still going to have that meet-up!
Blessings, sweet niece!
Toni