In the New Testament (NT) the most frequently quoted passage from the Old Testament (OT) is Psalm 110. It is a short Psalm about the rule and reign of the coming Messiah. Here are the first two verses.
1 The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” 2 The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! Psalm 110:1–2 (NKJV)
The most famous Psalm in the world is the 23rd Psalm. Here is a key verse related to our subject.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Psalm 23:5 (NKJV)
The command in Psalm 110 is to rule, referring to the Messiah, Jesus. The message of Psalm 23 is that in the very face of our enemies He prepares a table, a place of nourishment and sustenance for us. Here we will look at the sustaining and transforming role of worship. Which requires some background and a story.
At the end of June and beginning of July in 1995 I, along with my friend Wouter, attended an event in Whistler, British Columbia called The Gathering of the Nations. IT was in fact of gathering of people from many nations with the stated purpose of gathering to seek His face. I can still remember where I was in my basement on our acreage when I read the brochure for the conference. I was on a distribution list for a newsletter, back when these came via the post office! I had picked up the mail the previous day but hadn’t opened this iteration of the monthly newsletter. When I did there was a brochure promoting the Whistler conference. I read it and began weeping. I know, not a normal response. What led to my weeping was that the entire agenda of the conference was to focus on worship and seeking His face and discerning His voice. I knew I was to be there. I won’t go into all the details but, along with Wouter, I made it there.
Spiritually the conference was a very powerful and significant event. While there I found out that the only event actually scheduled was a presentation of Brian Doerksen’s new album and musical production Father’s House (I highly recommend it). For some reason it was never presented or referenced in any of the five days of meetings that took place three times per day.
You are likely now wondering about the significance. During the conference I spent some time chatting with Brian in a hot tub at the hotel we were staying at. He was genuine and open and never referenced his Father’s House project. I later found out that he had mortgaged his home to produce it and when released it was not a success. Fast forward to 1997 and Brian and his family had now moved to London England to help with leading worship and training worship leaders in the Vineyard in the UK.
With the many posts following his recent transition to Jesus’s presence I recently listened to an interview with Brian where he shared about the birth of a worship song after their move ot London. He stated that after their arrival he was at a low point in his life. He had lost everything financially trying to launch his Father’s House musical and was doubting his faith. As he was walking the streets of London one morning pondering and praying, he said he suddenly felt the Lord’s presence moving on him and through him like electricity and felt like he was being visited by the love of God. In this atmosphere he clearly heard the words, “Come, now is the time to worship.” It made no sense to him but he felt like it was an invitation to come and worship in his brokenness so he went home and began working on the song. He played it a couple of weeks later during worship and said that within weeks they heard of it being sung around the world before he even completed the final version or recorded it.
So, back to our verses. Brian was not in a good place when this invitation came. An invitation to embrace a table prepared for him in the midst of discouragement and a host of other negative emotions. What about you, have discouragement, hopelessness or failure become your companions? Are you struggling in some other area? Then I invite you, as I have done in difficult times, respond to the invitation, come, now is the time to worship.
brian doerksen come now is the time to worship youtube – Search
