Worship Calms the Troubled Soul

The above title is from Recalling the Hope of Glory in a section describing the worship activities of the Patriarchs. On his journey to Egypt where he would live, be protected by Joseph and be safe from famine, Jacob stopped along the way to worship God.

I think about all the times I have moved to an unknown place, twenty-eight of them. I know what it is like to pack up and leave all that is familiar. While this can be an adventure, it also holds some trepidation. I can easily imagine the emotions Jacob felt as he left his land, and I am amazed that he had a heart to stop and worship during this transition and troubled time.

Yet worship does calm my heart when I am troubled. The act of turning to God changes my focus, puts my perspective above whatever troubles me, helps me think about the One who is in charge of all things. I begin to remember His promises and past provision. Jacob knew all about it. He’d learned that God is his refuge and strength.

Other Old Testament saints knew it too. One of my favorite passages was written by the prophet Isaiah and his words bring me to a place of worship and comfort. Isaiah 40:28-31 says:

Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

Someone wrote a song using some of these wonderful words of comfort and promise. At the end they added this line: “Teach me Lord, teach me Lord, to wait.”

Waiting, particularly waiting patiently, is a learned thing. Children (whose sense of time is either ‘now’ or ‘eternity’) cannot do it. Some adults have a tough time too, especially with the patience part. I see them every time I drive city streets or stand in line at the checkout. If toes are not pressing metal to the floor, they are tapping impatiently. Fingers drum and faces are frowning and annoyed. Few people have that ability to relax while forced to wait.

But these verses are not about ordinary waiting. They are about waiting on the Lord. From my experience and from Isaiah 30:15, I know that this type of waiting is a choice. For many, it is a choice they refuse. “For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength.’ But you would not . . . .”

God tells His people that we will find salvation, confidence and strength in turning to Him, resting in Him, putting our confidence in Him. In this instance, His people wouldn’t do it and sadly, they missed out in what He wanted to give them.

Some days I get so anxious about things that I feel almost too tired to take them to God. While He bids me to bring those burdens to Him, perhaps even more important is this invitation to just come to Him, think about who He is, and then rest in His greatness. He knows more about those burdens than I do, and He is Almighty God. Certainly I don’t need to inform Him or tell Him how to fix things. Instead I just need to curl up in His care and rest, worshiping Him and waiting on Him. When I do, He renews my strength and comforts my soul.