Inviting God into Your Environment

Psalm 33:1, Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful."

I have discovered that one of the greatest ways to invite God into your situation (or environment) is through praise and worship. God enjoys the praises of His people. When we stop all that we are doing and begin to focus upon Him - God shows up.

The command of the psalmist to the righteous was to rejoice in the Lord. I think it's important to look at this verse and ask what is he saying.

#1 - The Righteous

Over the last couple of weeks, I have shared with you that our righteousness is in Christ. When we are moved by faith in God to accept Jesus as the only means of salvation, we are also accepting Jesus as the only means for righteousness. This understanding is vital if you are going to truly rejoice in the Lord. We don't always feel righteous, look righteous, or even act righteous. However, God has declared us righteous. You cannot allow your rejoicing in the Lord to be determined by how you feel. When you understand that you are righteous based upon the finished work of Christ, then you can move into worship and praise rather easily. You don't have to "work it up." You don't have to pray about it. You simply move in faith - God has declared me righteous - and act upon it.

#2 - The Righteous are to Rejoice in the Lord

Rejoice means to "feel joyful" and "be delighted." Remember that I am sharing with you the idea of inviting God into your environment...your situation. My environment/situation may not move me to rejoice. In fact, if we act only upon our environment then I doubt that we will rejoice at all. But I'm not focusing on my environment or my feelings. I'm going to focus upon the fact that regardless of where I am or what I am going through, God has declared me righteous and I am going to "feel joyful" and "be delighted" in Him. Circumstances shouldn't be able to stop your praise when you know your identity in Christ. Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul after Jesus tells him that His grace is sufficient: "...Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ my rest upon me." (2 Cor. 12:9) What changed? Paul's situation didn't change. His circumstances didn't change. But His response changed! Rather than focusing on the situation, Paul focused on the Savior and took great delight in Him.

#3 Praise from the Upright is Beautiful

Since we are righteous in Christ, our praise is beautiful. Whenever we worship God our praise takes on a beauty of it's own. It is attractive to God. God never despises praise but is drawn to the one who gives it. Jesus told us that His Father is seeking those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. As you and I come into agreement with the Word of God (we are the righteousness of God in Christ), we can then worship Him through our spirit (that which has been redeemed) and it is beautiful. The greatest picture that I can paint for you is this: We now worship God just as Adam and Eve did before the fall. Because our righteousness is found in Christ, then our praise becomes an opportunity to bring glory to God. As we agree with God (truth) and worship Him as a new creation (spirit), He is attracted to what we bring.

Allow me to encourage you with this today: Stop waiting for your situation to change. Stop waiting for people around you to change. Go ahead and change your environment. Invite God into your situation. Place yourself in the presence of God by your praise. As you worship Him in spirit and truth, you will discover a whole new reality of life. Stop Waiting and Start Praising!!!