WHY WE SING-PROMISES
This is our first publish of WHY WE SING. The purpose of WHY WE SING is to help you understand the song Biblically so you can worship God more emphatically.
The new song Promises by maverick city music was introduced a few weeks ago. What a profound declaration to sing! The chorus goes: “Great is your faithfulness to me, great is your faithfulness to me. From the rising sun to the setting scene I will praise your name. Great is your faithfulness to me.” It draws on the heart and reminds the worshiper who he/she is singing to. We serve a faithful God. “Seasons change, but you remain the same.” If we are honest, sometimes it does not feel like God is faithful. Sometimes, because of circumstances surrounding us, we question God and wonder why we cannot sense Him. Although these may be valid feelings, they do not change God’s nature. God is faithful by nature. I remember one sermon years ago when pastor Roland Coon said that there are things God cannot do. I was confused and immediately felt like I did not agree with that statement; but right after that, he explained God cannot lie, God cannot steal, God cannot go against who He is! What a profound understanding of the God we serve. In the same way, God cannot lie, He also cannot be unfaithful. Our circumstances may try to convince us otherwise, but God remains on the throne.
The chorus of the song says: “I put my faith in Jesus, my anchor, to the ground. My hope and firm foundation, you’ll never let me down.” The power of singing songs to the Lord is either you believe what you are singing, or you don’t. You may sing that you trust God, but then struggle with control and fail at walking by faith. Here lies the power in genuine worship. When you align your heart with the word of God and defy the circumstances surrounding your life by singing ‘God is faithful’ no matter what, there is a shift in the spiritual atmosphere around you. This is walking by faith and not by sight. When you choose to surrender in that dark place, when you decide to exalt God above the circumstance, when you sing about his faithfulness and believe in it even if you aren’t seeing it, God responds. Did you catch that? GOD RESPONDS.
James 1:6 says: “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.” (NLT) That is how we worship the King in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24). In spirit, we know that God is faithful no matter what. When we respond to that kingdom reality in the physical realm, heaven invades the earth (on earth as in heaven), and we become the vessel through which God’s glory is released. God delights in proving Himself faithful to us and He reminds us in His word time and time again, to remember His faithfulness. I want to encourage you today to meditate on these verses:
Deuteronomy 7:9 “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations”
2 Timothy 2:13 “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”
Psalm 33:4 “For the Word of the Lord is upright, and all His work is done in faithfulness.”
Psalm 91:4 “He will cover you with His feathers, He will shelter you with His wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.”
Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
Today, instead of questioning God, remind yourself of how many times He has proven Himself faithful in your life. Meditate on every miracle, every answered prayer, and on the power of the gospel that has brought you back from death to life! The gospel should never become dull to the point that it no longer excites us. We should never stop thanking God for His unfailing love and mercy toward us because of the cross. Most importantly, we should never forget that it is all because Jesus laid His life down willingly, for the joy set before Him; giving us access into His holy presence for eternity. Be thankful today, and be blessed.
-Sam Cruz, Reach Director