July 1, 2026
I love it when God uses our worship song selection to help us understand what He is saying…and what He wants from us. We talked last week about freedom, and the fact that God designed us to be free. Jesus came to restore freedom lost to sinful choices, and our founding fathers came to America looking for a place where they would be free to worship God according to His Holy Spirit’s leading. This Sunday He has ordained a song taken from a Psalm filled with God’s promises of freedom, fulfillment, and blessing if we will follow and obey and worship Him only. Check out Psalm 81:
Sing for joy to God our strength; shout joyfully to the God of Jacob. Raise a song, strike the timbrel, the sweet -sounding lyre with the harp. Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob. He established it for a testimony in Joseph when he went throughout the land of Egypt. I heard a language that I did not know: “I relieved his shoulder of the burden, His hands were freed from the basket. You called in trouble and I rescued you; I answered you in the hiding place of thunder; I proved you at the waters of Meribah. Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, if you would listen to Me! Let there be no strange god among you; nor shall you worship any foreign god. I, the Lord, am your God, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. But My people did not listen to My voice, an Israel did not obey Me. So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, to walk in their own devices. Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! I would quickly subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their adversaries. Those who hate the Lord would pretend obedience to Him, and their time of punishment would be forever. But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
Doesn’t that description of Israel sound like America today? Worshiping things (or people) that are not God? Walking in disobedience to God and His laws? Are we not stubborn, quarrelsome, immoral, angry haters of God (and mankind, made in His image)? And yet, despite the man-made mayhem in which we live, God’s Word never fails. He has promised to give us everything we need, to subdue our enemies, punish our adversaries severely, and shower us with His blessing (Careen’s translation of finest of the wheat, and honey from the rock in verse 16). He is a forgiving God, slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness. He does not punish us as our sins deserve, but he forgives us graciously time and time again (see Psalm 103). He calls to us as a loving Father, “Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.” (verse 10) Why can’t we just do that?
If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sins, and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
See y’all on Sunday for worship!
Careen
Worship Songs for July 5:
Come, Christians, Join to Sing – Matt Boswell/Matt Papa/Keith & Kristyn Getty – https://youtu.be/4QjelEhuQ5E?si=hNy8q1BH2uKdDFeW
Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine – Daniel Baptist Church Congregation – https://youtu.be/vaA2nqU3_Gg?si=I_krNC0DoV4Tfvg6
Honey in the Rock – Brandon Lake/Brooke Ligertwood – https://youtu.be/wDGDrLU1XcM?si=NmuflGVz0nuNUuIU
Holy Forever – Chris Tomlin – https://youtu.be/IkHgxKemCRk?si=5bIzEDi6lh8wyBkr