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Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Psalm 51:12

When is the last time you fully embraced the joy of salvation?  Being honest, it’s something I speak of more often than I truly experience.  I equate the joy of my salvation to the peace of knowing that my salvation is secure (John 10:28) and the promise of eternity in Heaven where we’ll be in the full light of God’s glory and splendor (John 3:16, Romans 5:21).  WOW.  It sounds amazing… but far away.  And sometimes the true joy of my salvation, in the waiting, seems far away too.

While we cannot lose our salvation, we can certainly lose the joy of it in the day to day battles against sin and worldly distraction.  While sin cannot separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:38-39), it can certainly put a damper on the closeness and intimacy we experience with our Lord apart from confession and repentance.

This is nothing new as even King David, a man after God’s own heart, begged Him, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me” (Psalm 51:12, NIV).  David sinned (a lot), but eventually saw his iniquity with a contrite spirit and moved toward penitence and obedience, asking for God’s help in guiding him along the path of righteousness.  With this step, he clearly saw the character of God to include His steadfast justice, mercy and grace (Psalm 51:1-9).  This understanding brought immeasurable joy from which praise and worship overflowed.

Praise and worship.

Often these words are used interchangeably, but there is a distinction to be made.  Webster’s Dictionary describes praise as an expression of favorable judgement, or the act of glorifying (a god or saint) especially by the attribution of perfections.  Subsequently, Webster defines worship as the act of showing honor, reverence, respect and devotion to an object of esteem.

Praise can apply to any number of relationships and is centered on outward thanksgiving and recognition of great accomplishment.  As followers of the one true God, we know that He has done great and mighty things; He is worthy of our praise… and if we are silent, even the stones will cry out (Luke 19:40)!  All creation glorifies the Maker of the heavens and the earth (Psalm 19:1, Psalm 66:4).

Worship goes deeper.  It is an ongoing heart attitude that involves adoration and surrender to something or someone.  While our fleshly desires can tempt us to worship worldly things (idols), the Bible is very clear that we serve a jealous God who seeks those who will worship Him alone in spirit and in truth (Luke 4:8, John 4:23).  Worship is centered on knowing our posture in relation to God Most High and understanding our purpose in relation to God’s creation and plan.  We were made to worship Him; we were made to commune with Him; we were made to bring glory and honor and praise to Him above all others (Col. 1:16, 1 Cor. 8:6).

“I Thank God” is a song of praise purposed to move our hearts toward worship in both spirit and truth.  The lyrics and melody praise God’s mighty works on our behalf with joyful gladness while invoking a heart of worship in surrendering our own strivings, self-worship, and schemes in favor of humility, contrition and repentance.  It is a celebration of what God has done in our lives and a bold declaration that our worship is reserved for the Master, the Savior: the one true God who is to be feared above all gods (Psalm 96:4).

The most amazing joy is realized when our praise and worship join forces as they did with David in Psalm 51.  Can’t wait to sing this song with you all again soon!

I THANK GOD

Wandering into the night
Wanting a place to hide
This weary soul, this bag of bones
And I tried with all my mind
And I just can’t win the fight
I’m slowly drifting, a vagabond
And just when I ran out of road
I met a Man I didn’t know
And he told me that
I was not alone

He picked me up, turned me around
Placed my feet on solid fround
I thank the Master, I thank the Savior,
Because He healed my geart, changed my name
Forever free, I’m not the same
I thank the Master, I thank the Savior,

I thank God

I cannot deny what I see
Got no choice but to believe
My doubts are burning
Like ashes in the wind
So, so long to my old friends
Burden and bitterness
You can just keep on moving
No you ain’t welcome here
From now till I walk
The streets of gold
I’ll sing of how You saved my soul

Hell lost another one
I am free, I am free, I am free

 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2

Magnify [ mag-nuh-fahy ] verb (used with object):

1. To increase the apparent size, especially by means of a lens, instrument, or device
2. To increase the volume
3. To make more intense or extreme

I remember having a microscope as a kid and placing various plates underneath to view things that I thought were hidden otherwise. To put a piece of cloth under the lens and be able to see the fibers, or see the intricate patterns woven through the wings of a butterfly, was fascinating. In the same way, our lives are to be the lens in which others are able to see a magnified image of Jesus.

Over my (almost) 40 years of life, one line of Scripture has pounded over and over again in my mind; “He [Jesus] must become greater, and I must become less” (John 3:30). These words were spoken by John the Baptist. It’s amazing to me that John the Baptist isn’t taught on as much as other Biblical characters like David, Noah, Abraham, or the twelve Disciples.

Apart from Jesus Christ, John the Baptist is likely the most theologically significant figure in the Gospels. John was the cousin of Christ. His birth was proclaimed by angels and miracles surrounded his life. Although his formative years were lived in obscurity in the desert, his public ministry ended nearly four hundred years of prophetic silence. He was born of the line of priests, coming, “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17). He was not only the herald of the coming of Messiah but also had the privilege to baptize Jesus. John was no “crowd-pleaser” as he preached relentlessly to the people of their need for repentance. And despite all his fame, John realized that his life had only one purpose—to make known the Lord God and His Messiah.

In a world that revolves around self-expressions — “self-care,” “self-esteem,” “self-love,” and “self-help,” led by slogans like “Just Do It” (Nike), “Have It Your Way” (Burger King) and “Because You’re Worth It” (L’OREAL), it’s easy to understand why people struggle to find Christ. Our culture is built on the shifting sands of narcissism and pride.

But God has called us to a different life, one that is built on an altar of sacrifice.

 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” – Romans 12:1-2

As we lay our lives on the altar of sacrifice, we put into practice what John preached in becoming lesser so that He can become greater. Our hope is that this song becomes an anthem and rallying cry of our church body to lay ourselves aside so that Christ will be magnified through us.

CHRIST BE MAGNIFIED

Were creation suddenly articulate
With a thousand tongues to lift one cry
Then from North to South and East to West
We’d hear Christ be magnified

Were the whole Earth echoing His eminence
His name would burst from sea and sky
From rivers to the mountain tops
We’d hear Christ be magnified

Oh! Christ be magnified
Let His praise arise
Christ be magnified in me
Oh! Christ be magnified
From the altar of my life
Christ be magnified in me

When every creature finds its inmost melody
And every human heart its native cry
Oh then in one enraptured hymn of praise
We’ll sing Christ be magnified
Oh, be lifted high, Jesus

I won’t bow to idols, I’ll stand strong and worship You
And if it puts me in the fire, I’ll rejoice ’cause You’re there too
I won’t be formed by feelings, I hold fast to what is true
If the cross brings transformation then I’ll be crucified with You
‘Cause death is just the doorway into resurrection life
And if I join You in Your suffering, then I’ll join You when You rise
And when You return in glory with all the angels and the saints
My heart will still be singing, my song will be the same