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Ministering to Gods Presence through Praise and Worship
Why has praise and worship or ministering to Gods presence dwindled in our society? Because the present day church does not value it and most feel that it no longer holds the importance it did in biblical times. This couldn't be further from the truth. 
Throughout biblical history people such as the prophet Samuel and King David had their very identity wrapped up in praising and ministering to God's presence. God desires for us to minister to Him the same way David did in Psalm 63:8 when he cried out to God "My soul follows hard after you". Today, more than ever the Lord seeks after each one of us to begin ministering to Gods presence both publicly and privately. David desired with all his heart to make sure that God was worshiped 24/7. This is why David established a new order of worship. The Levites were assigned to begin ministering to Gods presence day and night. But why the Levites? ministering praise and worship The Levites were chosen and set apart for ministering to Gods presence because this was their God ordained blessing. There were 12 tribes of the Israelite people who were the descendants of Jacob. Each tribe was to receive a blessing which was a valuable portion of land to settle on. Each portion of land, from great cities to fertile farmlands and river valleys, were as unique as the tribes they were promised to. However when all the land had been distributed, one tribe received no land inheritance at all. These were the Levites.
Joshua 13:14 states "But to the tribe of Levi He gave no inheritance, since the offerings made by fire to the Lord, the God of Israel are their inheritance, as He promised them". Would that upset you if all your brothers received a rich inheritance and you did not? Remember how God promised them through Moses that the land flowing with milk and honey would be given to them? Actually the Levites received the greatest blessing of all, an invitation for ministering to God's presence by entering the holy of holies through praise and worship of the Lord. But how, you may ask could this be better than all the best land, vineyards or large and flourishing cities? The Levites received the greatest inheritance of all because they were the only tribe invited into the presence of God. Today, however we are able to enter into or begin ministering to God's presence whenever we choose and without a special invitation. This is due to Jesus' sacrifice on the cross which ripped the curtain in the temple into two pieces. The ripping of the curtain signified the wall coming down between us and God and allowed us to experience God's presence whenever we wish. The curtain previously separated the Holy of Holies (where God's presence dwelled) from us. If we have received salvation and repented of our sins we can begin ministering to the presence of God just as the Levites did. Not only is this pleasing to God but it is also an incredibly satisfying experience for us. We desperately need the presence of God and standing before Him with humble hearts in a position of praise and worship glorifies Him. He will then not only meet our specific needs but exceed them by blessing us with the desires of our heart. Praising and worshiping God through music, prayer or a combination of these is one of the easiest ways to usher in the presence of God. So what are you waiting for? Go and fulfill Psalm 100:1-4!! Another link that is a wonderful resource for adults is: © child-bible-lessons.com All Rights Reserved 2007 Permission is given for non-profit use of the information from this web page provided it is accompanied by the citation: Used by permission of Beth Rimstidt www.child-bible-lessons.com All requests for other uses will be considered. Please ask.
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