A church with a cross in the front and a clock on the back has declared who is to be worshiped. Hint: It's not God; it's the people whose time is so important that the worship of God cannot run past twelve or an hour. This is a worship passage and it's centered on reminders, distractions and directions for praise. The reminder is this; worship is all about God, not us. Not you. Not me. It is a time to know that the God who has brought us this far is worthy to be praised. As you gather your thoughts for worship remind yourself of where you are, where you need to be, and God's special place in all that. God reminded Isaiah that it was God who made a way through the sea, an impossible feat made possible and necessary for escape and for life. The same thing may have happened in your life where God made a way through a sea of despair or addiction or habits that were leading you to your certain death; God made a way. The pursuers using chariots and horses were "extinguished like a wick," so were yours and mine. Then, be aware as you worship that in that hour or so, God is about to do a new thing; are you aware and ready for it? Even through the deserts of doubt or the rivers of worry, God is there ready to create something new. This creation of life-supporting, life-giving resources will bless all who are aware of them. And then remember that that's why we were created, to praise and thank God.
A praise such as the one Isaiah describes does not watch the clock; it watches the cross. The clock counts down your life; the cross counts up towards life. The clock measures time you can never recover; the cross shows that time when your future was made sure and eternal. The clock only counts to twelve, twenty-four if you have a military-style clock, the cross is eternal. The clock tells you where you need to be; the cross reminds you where you were when Jesus took your place. The clock is worthy of having its batteries replaced and like this past weekend, reset to mark a new time. The cross is worthy of pointing us to Jesus, Who is worthy of our praise for all He did, is doing, and will do in our lives.
Tick tock is not praise. You know what real praise is.
PRAYER: Loving God, set my time on Yours. Set my eyes not on clocks but on the reminders of Your grace and love, of the sacrifices made on my behalf. I want to be a part of the new creation coming; not one pressured by the measuring of time reminding me of were I need to be; the only place I need to be is in that place and with those people who are praising You. This I pray, with faith, in the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Savior, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
