"Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise." Psalm 96:3-4 (NIV)
There are 470 occurrences of the word "declare" in the Bible. This would seem to indicate that this is an important word in God's vocabulary, one worthy of taking a closer look at. The Hebrew definition means to reckon or count accurately, to rehearse or practice.
Worship is not merely singing songs to God. It goes much deeper than that. God designed Worship to not only be a vehicle of our expression of praise and adoration to God, but to transform us by aligning what we think about God with the truth about who He is. The act of worship is declaring the truth about God. It is not enough to just declare our feelings and emotions about God in worship. It is critical that we declare the truth about who He is in spite of our feelings and emotions. What I think and feel about God doesn't change the truth about Him - that He is faithful, loving, holy and righteous, that He reigns. This is why worship is so important because when I worship the Lord I am rehearsing or practicing the truth of who He is. When my circumstances are telling me that God doesn't care, worship reminds me that He holds me in His hand. When I am feeling lonely and abandoned, worship reminds me that He will never leave me or forsake me. When I have been hurt and betrayed, worship reminds me that God is forever faithful.
As a musician I spend several hours each week practicing so that I play the right notes and chords and sing the right words. Even after singing and playing for over 30 years I still practice. It's a must. It is something I have committed to for a lifetime. When I'm in my 70's I understand that I will still be practicing. Have you practiced today? Have you taken the time to rehearse the truth through worship? Take time every day to participate in the "Great Rehearsal" of life - the practice of worship!
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