The Rest of God
A Dwelling Place for Worshippers
But the psalmist doesn’t stop there. Now, in verse 6-7 he gets intimate and introspective. The psalmist
says, “Come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” Why does he say that?
Because now he recognizes his place in the kingdom of God in relation to God’s place. “He is our God, and
we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.” The psalmist recognized in worship that God
is the shepherd. He is the leader, and we are just sheep—servants.
It is at that point, after high praise and reflective worship, that he says, “Don’t harden your hearts.”
He knew that the only way to keep your heart soft before the Lord was to live a life of praise and
worship. Again, it is not just a one time act, but it is a lifestyle.
Worship keeps our focus on the right things and does not allow room for evil to enter. As long as we
continue to recognize our place in relation to God’s place, we cannot rebel, because we know that we
would be a fool to turn our back on the living God.
As you remain faithful and keep your heart in an attitude of surrender, God has promised a blessing. To
the children of Israel in the wilderness, that blessing was the Promised Land. It was a land of prosperity,
flowing with milk and honey, and it was a land of safety, free from the threat of slavery. Likewise, today we
have been promised a blessing, and that blessing is called the ‘rest’ of God. The Greek word for ‘rest’ means
to settle down, to colonize, or to abide. Today the ‘rest’ of God is His holy presence. In the midst of His
presence we are safe, free from the threat of slavery to sin, and all of our needs are taken care of.
Praise and worship not only will keep you humble before the Lord, but it will literally take you into the very
presence of God. I think we are all aware of that fact, but for me, this passage just reemphasizes how much
God longs to be with us. He would never turn his back on us, but we can willingly decide to rebel and harden our hearts toward Him.
Live that lifestyle of worship. Praise God for who He is, and worship Him because He is the great Shepherd.
Keep a submissive and humble spirit, and allow God to take you into His rest.
Used by churches all over the world to help teach worship, the Experiencing Worship study can help your worship team too.
Your team will learn why we worship and gain a better understanding of how to worship.
One user said..."Your 5 week study course has made a tremendous impact on my life in the study of worship... I would like to express my thanks for a well written study course that leads into a higher realm of praise and worship."
This is the debut album by EXW friend Paul Langford. Paul is a Chicago based singer, arranger, keyboardist, producer and conductor. Paul has a career that spans 14 years. Paul's work includes arranging for groups like GLAD, Voices of Liberty, VoiceTrek, The Chicago based "Caroling Party" and Day of Discovery Singers. His arranging has appeared on recordings side by side with greats like Gene Puerling and David Maddux, and he has sung with Don Shelton, Bonnie Herman and Bob Bowker, among others.