Hidden in the beautiful story of Hosea is a portion of a scripture that simply says, “Judah shall plow”.\u00a0 It is in Hosea 10:11.\u00a0 Now, why would this have anything to do with worship?\u00a0 It seems more like farming commands or a punishment for a wayward son than worship.<\/p>\n
Well, I was at a wonderful Christian Dance Ministry conference years ago when I heard Dr. Pamela Hardy speak on this very tiny piece of Hosea\u2026Judah, shall plow.\u00a0 This is what she shared\u2026<\/p>\n
Judah means praise.\u00a0 To plow means to scratch or engrave as with tools, to prepare the soil to receive seed.\u00a0 Look at this again now from a spiritual perspective.\u00a0 Praise, YOUR praise, plows\u2026it prepares the soil of our hearts to receive. \u00a0Our praise plows the hard earth of our hearts, it digs down, it makes an imprint in the sand of our hearts, and prepares it for the seed.\u00a0 What is the seed?\u00a0 The seed is the Word of God, which we are to plant in our hearts.<\/p>\n
So, worshippers, begin to look at your praise, your worship, as a means of preparation.\u00a0 When you lead worship, you are helping to make the heart ready to receive the Word by helping people enter into God\u2019s presence, where He can deal with the fallow ground of their hearts; where He alone can take His hands and remove the stones, the hardness, and weeds, and prepare us to receive more of Him.<\/p>\n
Our worship makes room for God to come and abide with us.\u00a0 God inhabits the praises of His people.\u00a0 In one culture, they say it this way, \u201cOur praise creates a big chair for God to come and sit with us.\u201d\u00a0 I love that!<\/p>\n
So, let\u2019s choose to enter into the Holy of Holies.\u00a0 As we enter, let\u2019s leave the door open for others to come and enter into His presence with us.\u00a0 Let\u2019s allow God to prepare us for more of Him.\u00a0 Let Judah plow.\u00a0 When we let it, we are changed.\u00a0 And, isn\u2019t that what an encounter with the living God is supposed to do?\u00a0 Change us?<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s help those that we minister to receive more of God by showing them the way into His presence. To be a minister is to empty yourself, to pour out your heart as an offering before God – not the congregation.\u00a0 As we keep our hearts and minds fixed on Him, they\u2019ll follow us right into His presence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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