Worship: God Likes Noise and Demonstration

[This is part of the Experiencing Remarkable Worship devotional series]

One of the definitions of worship is akin to a dog licking his owner’s hand. How’s that for a word picture? (Don’t worry; you don’t have to lick God’s hand like a dog.) But the Bible talks about expression and demonstration in worship! We are going to explore that in this post.

Everyone is in a different place in their journey of worship so their exhibition and volume is going to be different; it’s best not to judge.

King David is an icon of worshipper in the Bible, but even he had to tell his soul to bless the Lord (Psalm 103:1). I’m sure there were days he didn’t feel like it. With killing a lion, a bear, Goliath, and exhaustion in running for his life, he was up against a lot. (And I think I have problems!)

In the Bible, numerous examples can be found to show what is used to worship God. What are they? To start with, I found five. Most of these let us know that God likes noise! The rest of them let us know that God encourages demonstration in worship! Check these out:

5 Biblical Ways to Bring Worship

1. Instruments

Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD! Psalm 98:5-6 ESV

Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Psalm 150:3-5 ESV

2. Voice

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! Psalm 98:4 ESV

And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Mark 11:9 ESV

Luke 1:46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord…”

3. Hands

Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord. Psalm 134:2 KJV

O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. Psalm 47:1 KJV

4. Legs

And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice. 2 Chronicles 20:19 ESV

The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.  2 Chronicles 29:26 ESV

5. Body (Dancing and Bowing)

Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. Exodus 15:20 ESV

And David danced before the LORD with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. 2 Samuel 6:16 ESV

O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. Psalm 95:6 KJV

Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. 2 Chronicles 20:18 ESV

I want to encourage you to explore these possibilities in your demonstration in worship to God. If the thought of participating in one of them makes you uneasy, then think about this:

When you were first learning how to swim it might have been with some trepidation even though it was fairly easy to learn. I want to encourage you to dive into what is new for you. Nothing else on earth gives the same weightlessness as being in the water. Similarly, you will find the same with engaging in these ways of worship.

So what do I do now?

• Read. Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard. Psalm 66:8 ESV
• Reflect. The first half of the above verse says to bless God. What does your demonstration in worship look like? The second half of the verse says to praise with a volume level that can be heard. Does God want you to amplify yours?
• Pray. God, there is nothing like your tangible presence. Help me to step into the “water of worship.” Teach me to swim. Help me not to get caught up in what others think when I worship You, because it is all for Your glory. 

• Worship. God is pleased by your demonstration in worship if it is done with the right heart. Sometimes we need some practice so our praises don’t get stolen. (If you need some encouragement on this, read this post.)

What is your favorite way to give worship to God?

Don’t miss the other great posts in the Experiencing Remarkable Worship Series:

1. Experiencing Remarkable Worship
2. Who Do We Worship?
3. 4 Reasons I Will Worship God
4. When You Worship
5. Worship: God Likes Noise and Demonstration
6. Worship Where You Are
7. 5 Steps to Thriving in Worship
8. When God Feels Far Away While Worshipping

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