What is my motivation?

I love the Psalms. Poetic. Real. Inspiring. Cathartic. A celebration of God.
I’ve been reading through the Psalms lately and am finding it difficult to walk away seeing God in the same light. The acknowledgement of God in the Psalms paints a picture more clear to me than almost any other book in the Bible of who our God is, and what He can do. Look at these statements from a few Psalms…


Psalm 84 (vs. 11)
For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
   the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
   from those whose walk is blameless.

Psalm 86 (vs. 5, 7-8, 10, 15)

You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
   abounding in love to all who call to you.
When I am in distress, I call to you,
   because you answer me.

Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;
   no deeds can compare with yours.
For you are great and do marvelous deeds;

But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
   slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

 Psalm 89 (vs. 6-8, 14)

For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD?
   Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings?
In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;
   he is more awesome than all who surround him.
Who is like you, LORD God Almighty?
   You, LORD, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you. 
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
   love and faithfulness go before you.


Psalm 92 (vs. 5)
How great are your works, LORD,
   how profound your thoughts!

Psalm 117 (vs. 2)
For great is his love toward us,
   and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD.

Psalm 118 (vs. 14)
The LORD is my strength and my song;
   he has become my salvation.

Psalm 119 (vs. 89-90)
Your word, LORD, is eternal;
   it stands firm in the heavens.
Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
   you established the earth, and it endures.

Psalm 142 (vs. 3)
When my spirit grows faint within me,
   it is you who watch over my way.

Psalm 144 (vs. 2)
He is my loving God and my fortress,
   my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield, in whom I take refuge,
   who subdues peoples under me.

Psalm 145 (vs. 3, 8-9, 13-20)

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
   his greatness no one can fathom.
The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
   slow to anger and rich in love.

The LORD is good to all;
   he has compassion on all he has made.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
   and your dominion endures through all generations.

The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises
   and faithful in all he does.
The LORD upholds all who fall
   and lifts up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you,
   and you give them their food at the proper time.
You open your hand
   and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

The LORD is righteous in all his ways
   and faithful in all he does.
The LORD is near to all who call on him,
   to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
   he hears their cry and saves them.
The LORD watches over all who love him.


It is no wonder to me that the Book which so brazenly expresses the wonder, power and love of our God is the same Book that overflows with passionate, unstoppable praise for Him. In these same Psalms quoted above (and in many more), you find declarations of praise so beautiful and inspiring, you are almost unwittingly led to delighting in God more with each word.


Psalm 86 (vs. 9, 12)

All the nations you have made
   will come and worship before you, Lord;
   they will bring glory to your name.

I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
   I will glorify your name forever.
Psalm 89 (vs. 1-2, 5, 16)

I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever;
   with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known
   through all generations.
I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
   that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
The heavens praise your wonders, LORD,
   your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.

They rejoice in your name all day long;
   they celebrate your righteousness.

Psalm 91 (vs. 2)
I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
   my God, in whom I trust.”

Psalm 92 (vs. 1-2, 4)
It is good to praise the LORD
   and make music to your name, O Most High,
proclaiming your love in the morning
   and your faithfulness at night,
For you make me glad by your deeds, LORD;
   I sing for joy at what your hands have done.

Psalm 118 (vs. 28)
You are my God, and I will praise you;
   you are my God, and I will exalt you.

Psalm 119 (vs. 171-172)
May my lips overflow with praise,
   for you teach me your decrees.
May my tongue sing of your word,
   for all your commands are righteous.

Psalm 138 (vs. 1-2, 4-5)

I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart;
   before the “gods” I will sing your praise.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
   and will praise your name
   for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
   that it surpasses your fame.
May all the kings of the earth praise you, LORD,
   when they hear what you have decreed.
May they sing of the ways of the LORD,
   for the glory of the LORD is great.
Psalm 144 (vs. 9-10)
I will sing a new song to you, my God;
   on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,
to the One who gives victory to kings,
   who delivers his servant...

Psalm 145 (vs. 1-2, 21)
I will exalt you, my God the King;
   I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise you
   and extol your name for ever and ever.
My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
   Let every creature praise his holy name
   for ever and ever.

This is the kind of praise that comes about from recognizing and acknowledging who God truly is. Sometimes we have difficulty getting in touch with the motivation to sing wholeheartedly to God, or just to praise Him in our hearts. If we can first focus our minds and hearts on how amazing He is, we will then be led in our spirits to express an authentic and magnificent praise that has its own drive to be released. It will no longer be a question of what to say, or how to express it; it will become a passionate desire to celebrate the only One worthy of receiving the praise that resides in our hearts.
May we, as we search for inspiration to give God due praise, remember all He has done in our lives, and all that He is. And may our hearts lift our voices to declare His praises, in word and in song.
“Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel,
   who alone does marvelous deeds.
Praise be to his glorious name forever;
   may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen. 1”
God be praised!!
Chinue Joy Black
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Footnotes:
1 Psalm 72:18-19

In Spirit and in Truth

I once worked with a vocal coach who knew how to get amazing results; he was very intimidating, actually. But he was unforgettable. One of the greatest gifts he gave me was the lesson about the connection between my words and my heart. By lesson, here’s what I mean:

I was 22 years old and a very timid singer. During rehearsal one day, I was standing alone on a stage singing an emotional song, though the emotion that was being displayed by my shaking legs and nervous voice didn’t exactly reflect the beautiful message of the lyrics. I remember him literally yelling at me from the middle of the theater as he walked toward me intently, “You’re lying! You’re lying!” Confused, I stopped, and he commanded me to keep going, which I did. Again, and clearly angry, he interrupted me to repeat his complaint as I labored on. When I finally made it through the song, he drove a message home to me that I’ll never forget.

My song was about the beauty and the wonder of love, and the power of a journey that had set my heart free. He taught me that in order to sing it, I must know those things in my heart. If my heart doesn’t believe it, then I have no business standing up and singing those words. That principle has taken deep root in my heart. It was such a great offense to him, who highly valued music. If someone could feel that strongly about the integrity of the finale of a college musical, how much greater should I feel wholehearted about every song I sing to my God and Savior?

Jesus said,

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in Spirit and in truth.¹”

We, who have the honor and responsibility of singing the praises of God, are the worshipers who are called to worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

Though I am certain that God does not have the same heart or response as did my vocal coach, I imagine He must feel something when we sing his praises with a heart that is divided. There are countless reasons our hearts may be divided when we sing to Him; we may be distracted, due to hurt, pain, numbness, doubt, pride, fear, anger, weariness…any number of things. But the Bible encourages us to purify our hearts to worship God in Spirit and in truth. Why is that?

Every rule, command and instruction we receive from God is given to us “that it may go well with [us],²” and that we may receive blessings. I have experienced, many times, the freedom that comes from wholeheartedly worshiping God through a burdened heart. When I make the conscious choice to turn my heart over to God, such as it is, I find deliverance…even freedom.

“But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ³”

And not only do we receive freedom for our hearts, but the Bible says that God actually inhabits our praises.⁴ We essentially have the opportunity for true communion with God, when we praise Him!

Friends, let us choose to receive the blessings that God has set aside for us, by worshiping Him in Spirit and in truth, finding freedom for our hearts and intimacy with the One who created the Heavens and the Earth.

God be praised!!

Chinue Joy Black

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Footnotes:

¹ John 4:23-24

² Deuteronomy 4:40, 5:16, 6:3, 6:18, 12:25, 12:28, 19:13, 22:7, Jeremiah 7:23

³ 2 Corinthians 3:16-17

⁴ Psalm 22:3, King James Version

Connecting the dots

I was thinking the other day about what makes worship a heart moving, God centered experience for me vs. a "going through the motions" experience. I'm sure we've all had moments where we are really feeling it and moments where we are looking but just can't seem to find it.

For myself, I find that when I'm staying connected to God through the week on a daily basis I experience a greater depth of worship and connection with God during our time together on Sunday. 

What does that daily connection mean for me? Taking time to talk with God... letting him know what's really going on in my heart, verbalizing my commitment to rely on him and trust him with my life... And always going back to thanking him for what he's done for me. 

It's so easy for me to get out of the habit of remembering what God has done for me. And when I forget, I seem to get consumed with what I perceive is "not right" with my life. It's kinda hard to really praise God when I'm consumed with that type of thinking. 

Makes me think about Philippians 4, where Paul says "finally, whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things."

Gratitude fuels my worship. Time to go fill up....

You hold my world

This Sunday, we are going to learn a new song called “You hold my world” by Israel Houghton. It’s a song of reflection and declaration helping us to remember how our sovereign God protects us, leads us and loves us.  Check out  the lyrics:

“Take my heart, Lord will you take my heart as I surrender to your will.

I confess, you are my righteousness, and until you move me I’ll be still and know that you are God.”

“You hold my world in your hands, you hold my world in your hands,

I am amazed at your love, I am amazed that you love me.

You hold my world in your hands, you hold my world in your hands, 

I'm not afraid, my world is safe in your hands."

"You won't let go of me. you won't let go of me,

You will take care of me, you will take care of me,

You hold my world in your hands, and you won't let go."

Great lyrics, great song.

I was looking at Psalm 91 this morning thinking about the lyrics of this song and how God protects us.

Verses 1-4 read:

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most high

            will find rest in the shadow of the  Almighty.

This I declare about the Lord:

He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;

he alone is my God, and I trust him.

For he will rescue you from every trap

            and protect you from deadly disease.

He will cover you with his feathers.

            He will shelter you with his wings.

            His faithful promises are your armor and protection.”

How many times has God protected you from something? Just look back on your life and reflect… some moments are crystal clear – that if we had taken one step to the left or right, our life would have been considerably altered or ended. Sometimes, His protection is revealed to us through our ongoing relationships. For others still, the fact that we are alive is a testament to His protection.

Why? Because he loves us, because he has a purpose for our lives, because we are his children…

As we learn this song and start singing it as a congregation this Sunday, I pray that we can sing it with the spirit of Psalm 91:2 “This I declare about the Lord: he is my refuge, my place of safety.” 

You hold my world, Israel Houghton  2010 integrity media, inc.

Welcome to my first Music Ministry blog! I’m so excited to be a part of the Turning Point Music ministry. Our goal is to help you in the Turning Point learn how to worship more fully and encourage you in your relationship with God. We are also teaching ourselves how to do this so it’s great to be on the same road together.

I thought it would be great to write each week about a song that we sing during our time of worship on Sunday, explore the lyrics and scripture behind that song as well as provide a link for that song so you can easily find it on itunes or wherever you shop for music. Another link I’ll be providing is one for all the new songs we are planning on doing this year so you can download those songs and listen to them ahead of time. I believe this will help all of us tremendously in being engaged and invested in what we sing on a given Sunday. One of my personal goals with this is to get more of and more people listening to the music we sing on Sunday, to listen and sing to it Monday through Saturday as well. 

This week I want to talk about a new song called “Arms open wide”.

Check out the lyrics…

Take my life I lay it down

At the cross where I am found

All I have I give to you O God

Take my hands and make them clean

Keep my heart in purity

That I may walk in all you have for me

Here I stand Arms open wide

I am yours and you are mine

Take my moments and my days

Let each breath that I take

Be ever only for you Oh God

My whole life is yours, I give it all

Surrendered to your name

And forever I will pray

Have your way, have your way

I love songs like this. It’s like a prayer, a prayer to God of surrender. How many of us need that? I know I do… everyday.

Songs like this help me think about our heroes from the scriptures that prayed like this in the most challenging situations. David in the psalms as he’s being hunted down by Saul, Jonah as he’s in the belly of a fish for three days, or Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane as he’s preparing for his crucifixion.

I love the bridge of this Song:

“My whole life is yours, I give it all surrendered to your name, and forever I will pray, have your way, have your way.”

More and more I find myself praying a prayer like this… telling God I’m available to him, that I give it all, my life to him to use. I believe it’s important for us to verbalize these kinds of things to our God as often we just think them but then don’t go any further.  It’s kinds like thinking “I do” vs. actually saying “I do”. It makes a difference for us.

Consider Jesus’ prayer in the garden form Matthew 26:

“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Jesus’ heart was burning in this moment with what he was about to face. His thoughts were probably racing a mile a minute… I believe it was so important for him to verbalize this with God in prayer and offer his surrender.  One of the amazing things about this prayer is you see his resolve afterwards and his focus on the mission before him.

I believe we can tap into this through the same process… verbalizing our surrender, offering ourselves to God through prayer, and when we sing about these kinds of things we can take it to another level. There’s just something very powerful about a group of people singing about giving their life for God’s purposes.  I believe that unity gives us strength individually and speaks volumes to those watching us on a given Sunday.

I pray that you enjoy this song as much as I have!

Arms open wide, Hillsong – tear down the walls