The Applause of the Storm

Have you ever been sitting in church and suddenly been swept away into another mental realm? For example, when your driving in your car, the same route over and over, and one day you start off to work and suddenly you arrive and you realize, "I don't really remember driving here. How did I get here so quickly? Did I drive past the school? the Sonic? Starbucks??" It's like our bodies take over and drive that same familiar route, but our mind is completely somewhere else. Our bodies follow the habit, but our minds are distracted and maybe, simply bored. 

I hate to admit it, but that is where I found myself in church this past Sunday.... driving along in habit, singing the songs, but my mind was totally somewhere else. Please understand that has no reflection whatsoever on the worship team that was leading... it was just me. I just couldn't seem to get mentally in tune with the worship. 

Until, something kind of strange happened.... I heard rain. 

It was the kind of rain that you would imagine pouring from the sky in great drops onto the concrete. The sound was unmistakable. I have heard it hundreds of times in my life. My first thought was "How strange. It was very sunny when I walked in just a few minutes ago." 

Then I realized very quickly, it was not rain, but the sound of people clapping after the worship song had just ended. 

Immediately this thought came into my head, "if you keep quiet, even the rocks will cry out." (John 19:40) I was suddenly amazed at how the sound of applause and the sound of rain hitting the ground sounded so similar. Creation naturally praises its Creator!  

"The heavens keep telling the wonders of God, and the skies declare what he has done." Psalm 19:1

"Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof; Let the field exult, and all that is therein; Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy!" Psalm 96:11-12

"Sun and moon, praise God! All of you bright stars, praise God! You highest heaven, praise God! Do the same, you waters that are above the sky!  Let all of these praise the Lord’s name because God gave the command and they were created! God set them in place always and forever. God made a law that will not be broken. Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all you ocean depths! Do the same, fire and hail, snow and smoke, stormy wind that does what God says! Do the same, you mountains, every single hill, fruit trees, and every single cedar! Do the same, you animals—wild or tame— you creatures that creep along and you birds that fly!" Psalm 148:3-10

I was immediately, mind and body, fully aware of where I was and what I should have been doing. Instead of allowing my mind to drift onto the worries and duties that surround me, basically ignoring the opportunity to enter into his presence, I needed to concentrate my mind on HIM. To worship HIM is to replace worry and doubt. To worship HIM is to enter into his presence. To worship HIM is to leave my mindless wanderings at the door and come in prepared to honor and glorify my Creator. Creation may cry out and worship Him, but not because I have failed to do so. In one accord, His creation will lift up praise unto HIS NAME. 

"Do the same, you young men—young women too! You who are old together with you who are young! Let all of these praise the Lord’s name because only God’s name is high over all. Only God’s majesty is over earth and heaven." Psalm 148:12-13

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