Worshiping God where you are

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I had the privilege of singing with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir at their Music Conference.  It was glorious!  As we sang God’s praises, His glory, power, love, and peace filled the air.  His presence there was truly awesome! 

I wanted to move there!

But further down the road, the Lord showed me it wasn’t the choir I wanted, but Him. His Presence.

The Lord led us back to hear the choir a few years later.  I thought for sure that this time, He was leading us to actually move to Brooklyn.

He knew my heart and how I longed to worship Him with other like-minded worshipers.

At the time, He had led us to a contemporary non-denominational church instead.  There, the worship was a mere show.  Plenty of noise, but God was nowhere to be found.

I cried out “Why, Lord, why?  Why do you have us here?”

But then He showed me something crucial.

When we came back from our second visit to Brooklyn Tab and went to our Sunday morning “worship” service, He spoke to me right then and there, “You don’t need the music to worship Me.  Ignore them!  Enter into worship right here, right now.  You do not need the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, either, in order to enter into worship.”

So I stood there – with the overly loud, empty noise filling the air – and I worshipped Jesus.  His Presence was all around me, surrounding me, just like at Brooklyn Tab.  I was caught up in the reverence, beauty and joy of the moment despite what was actually happening on the stage.

The Lord made His point.

I can worship Him wherever I am.  If I really want to enter into His Presence, I can do so in any circumstance.

Would I rather be with like-minded worshipers in His Presence at Brooklyn Tab?  Of course!

But unless He leads us to live in Brooklyn, I must let Jesus Himself lead me into worship.  Wherever I am.

And He does. 

Dear Lord.  Thank You for reminding me that I do not need to be in a certain place in order to worship You and feel Your Presence.  I can worship You here and now.  Worship is a matter of the heart, not the music.  So help me worship You always in my heart, Lord, no matter where I am.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

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