Standing with Him

I was singing my heart out in church this morning. Don’t get me wrong, I can’t sing at all and should probably apologise to the lady who was sitting in front of me today as I belted out the songs badly over the top of her head, but there’s something amazing about singing to my God in a crowd of people also singing to Him. It’s a powerful and yet intimate experience, worship. I’ve never been a singer and, despite attempting to attend several choirs in primary school, discovered very quickly that it certainly is not where my talent lies. Despite this, I love it. On inviting some friends to church when I was at university, they were horrified at the prospect of having to sing songs. I guess it is frightening when it’s not something that people do in secular culture, certainly not sober anyway! But in the context of church, it makes absolute sense to meet God in this way.

Today was unusual for me in that, having family over for lunch, I was keen to get home early. I was, perhaps optimistically, attempting to create fancy dauphinoise potatoes alongside our roast chicken dinner and so planned to slip out after the worship session in order to hit the kitchen with a vengeance. Missing the sermon itself, I wasn’t quite expecting to be challenged in quite the way that I was. Terrible, isn’t it, that we can so often turn up at church not really anticipating to meet God? As his children, we should come into his presence with the absolute expectation to meet with Him. As I wandered into the building with characteristic promptness, 2 minutes before the service began, however, my mind was on other things as I nodded and smiled at people I recognised. 

The band struck up the first song and it wasn’t long before my mind moved away from cream coated potatoes and roast chicken to the mighty Creator God who wants to meet with me right here, right now. Little old me… who casually turns up in His house with a whole host of ‘stuff’ on my mind, not really anticipating anything AND YET with awesome, amazing grace He comes right up close to meet me where I am. There are a whole host of emotions and feelings that you feel when encountering God in worship, but today I felt
                                            complete
                                                   and whole
                                                             and safe.

Regardless of what’s going on in life: the hundreds of reports still left to write, the books that need marking, the assessment data that needs inputting and all the things that have the potential to go wrong this week, He is with me. He is in it and I can proclaim with absolute certainty and confidence…

I know who goes before me
I know who stands behind,
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side.

How amazing that He wants to be in everything that I do?! That Creator God, the same God who flung stars into space, intercedes for me and stands alongside me as I live my life. It doesn’t mean that everything I do will be successful, or that I won’t ever get hurt or feel suffering. However, in the context of God’s greatness, everything else pales into insignificance because he is bigger than it all.

Nothing formed against me shall stand
You hold the whole world in your hands.
I’m holding on to your promises
You are faithful, You are faithful, You are faithful…

As you go into the next week, regardless of what it has in store for you, know the truth that He goes before you and stands behind you in all that you do. Need to hear it again? Have a listen to the song and draw close to the Father, just as He so wishes to draw close to you. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOkImV2cJDg