"Hezekiah also had said, "What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord?" Isaiah 38:22
We never see calamities as a reason to praise because we never factor God into the equation. God brings us the calamities as well as the blessings, and it never crosses our minds that problems are an opportunity to watch God work. God saving you out of your troubles is not for its own sake. It is so you have occasion to glorify God, to know the reality of His presence, to know the reality of His communion with us. Hezekiah's healing was not for its own sake or for his, it was not a mere quick-fix or God paying homage to a great king. It was so he could have opportunity to "go up to the house of the Lord" and worship. The calamities and troubles of life are moments to ask, "What is the sign that I shall worship my God." We do not think of them in such a sense, and therefore suffer greatly in spirit and mind.
Perhaps it seems a bit harsh that God sends calamity in order to garner worship. Is He that desperate for praise? Of course not; God is in need of nothing. God does not send circumstances our way to force praise out of us for His sake. He sends circumstances our way so that we may have opportunity to praise (we may ignore Him if we choose) for our own sake. God enjoys our praise, but He does not need it, He is not benefited by it. There are only two persons involved in the praise dynamic: us and God; and if praise is abeneficial to God, then it must be beneficial to us. Our articulation of our appreciation for being created to be able to comprehend His glory in the moment (my definition of worship and praise) is beneficial to us in that, for one, it is a joy in and of itself; and secondly, that comprehension of His glory draws us closer into intimate communion and knowledge with and of Him.
"Draw me close to You.
Through the fire and the rain,
Come hell or high water,
Lead me into Your Presence..."
-Jon Vowell
We never see calamities as a reason to praise because we never factor God into the equation. God brings us the calamities as well as the blessings, and it never crosses our minds that problems are an opportunity to watch God work. God saving you out of your troubles is not for its own sake. It is so you have occasion to glorify God, to know the reality of His presence, to know the reality of His communion with us. Hezekiah's healing was not for its own sake or for his, it was not a mere quick-fix or God paying homage to a great king. It was so he could have opportunity to "go up to the house of the Lord" and worship. The calamities and troubles of life are moments to ask, "What is the sign that I shall worship my God." We do not think of them in such a sense, and therefore suffer greatly in spirit and mind.
Perhaps it seems a bit harsh that God sends calamity in order to garner worship. Is He that desperate for praise? Of course not; God is in need of nothing. God does not send circumstances our way to force praise out of us for His sake. He sends circumstances our way so that we may have opportunity to praise (we may ignore Him if we choose) for our own sake. God enjoys our praise, but He does not need it, He is not benefited by it. There are only two persons involved in the praise dynamic: us and God; and if praise is abeneficial to God, then it must be beneficial to us. Our articulation of our appreciation for being created to be able to comprehend His glory in the moment (my definition of worship and praise) is beneficial to us in that, for one, it is a joy in and of itself; and secondly, that comprehension of His glory draws us closer into intimate communion and knowledge with and of Him.
"Draw me close to You.
Through the fire and the rain,
Come hell or high water,
Lead me into Your Presence..."
-Jon Vowell
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