Glory Song - Devotional By Matt RedmanSample

Questions

From the album ‘Glory Song’ by Matt Redman

Honesty is a vital part of how we approach God. But that honesty has to be coupled with reverence. The psalmists, even at their most tragic or troubled times, still declared who God was. 

We see this in Psalm 22, when David asks, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1). And then in the same breath he declares, “Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel” (Psalm 22:3). David openly questions God, but he still declares God’s power. 

The questions come

But you remain

The battles roar

But still you reign

The psalms give us permission to come before God with transparency and encourage us not to come with any kind of pretense. Worship can be raw, as long as it’s also reverent. 

In Mark 9, we see a man come to Jesus with both questions and reverence. His son is possessed by a demon. “‘If you can do anything,’” he pleads, “‘have compassion on us and help us’” (Mark 9:22). Jesus then highlights the man’s skeptical “if” by saying, “‘If you can! All things are possible for one who believes’” (Mark 9:23). Immediately the father of the child cries out and said, “‘I believe; help my unbelief!’” (Mark 9:24). 

His statement was both reverent (“I believe”) and honest (“help my unbelief!”).

As Christians, we like making big statements about our beliefs in God, but it’s OK to admit that we to need God to increase our faith and that we need him to help fill in the gaps where we’re struggling to trust, just as Jesus did for this man. 

Being real and raw in our worship is not just honoring to God, it is also helpful to other people. It gives them a window into the true heart of the Father. Sometimes people look at the church and think we’re the ones who “have it all together,” so they assume in order to worship God, they must have it all together too. But this isn’t the Christian life. The Christian life is full of twists and turns, ups and downs, moments when you think you have it all together, and moments when you know you are falling apart. 

Worshipping with rawness and reverence shows others that everyone is welcome in the eyes of Christ. We are all broken, weary sinners in need of a loving God and in need of a Savior. 

Whether you believe or need help with your unbelief, come to Him today. You don’t have to be someone you’re not. You just have to come and bow as low as you can in trust and hope and reverence.