An Amazing Invitation!
Reading this verse last week, my mind got stuck on one word. One word that is so refreshing to me, especially during Christmas. And that word is “come!”
How amazing it is for us to be invited into the presence of Almighty God to worship and adore Him at Christmas. While we were far off, while we were in sin, Christ made it possible for us to come into the presence of a holy God. Paul says in Romans 5:8, “God demonstrated His own love towards us, in that while were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
When we connect the power of the cross with the power of redemption, it’s not only overwhelming, but we get this amazing invitation by God to come to Him and be loved unconditionally!
Three times in the above verses we are told to “come” to God shouting, singing and bending without any limitations or restrictions. Three times we are reminded that we can experience God on an emotional level. This level is powerful because not only do we come to God intellectually, but also emotionally! Isn’t that refreshing?
Shouting and singing helps us to release our heart-felt emotions towards God who desires that we be in His presence and to share our emotions with Him through worship. Isn’t it true that we “come” to God through worship because we feel love, gratitude, relief, joy, and forgiveness?
I don’t think God wants us to curtail our worship because we worry that we’re going down the slope of emotional worship. Just remember to keep God in the spotlight and let the Holy Spirit do the rest. As long as our emotions are driven by truth, we can be sure that the Holy Spirit will guide them as we “come” into His presence with emotional singing and exuberant shouting!
Jesus said to His weary religious followers, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
He was giving a huge Psalm 95 invitation (that only He could give) to all of us who are worn out from life’s monotony and war-torn from life’s battle. We come into the presence of our awesome heavenly Father to find grace for our sins, peace for our anxieties, and strength for our weaknesses. Aren't you glad that Christmas helps us opens our hearts to a wonderful invitation - come into His presence, the presence of Emmanuel, God with us?
Merry Christmas!
Pastor Dave