Friday, July 9, 2010

Worship Orders from Heaven

By David Hobbs

I arrived at the church for my early morning prayer. I had gotten extra sleep the night before thinking it might rejuvenate me and give me greater energy, but it didn’t help. I was tired and even a little weary, not feeling any particular leading in prayer. So I sat in a chair on the front row of the old sanctuary, stilled myself and asked for and waited for the Holy Spirit.
Nothing much happened, but after awhile I began to think of a song we used to sing in church a number of years ago. What words I could remember seemed to express where I was at spiritually, but the problem was I couldn’t remember all the words. It was tantalizing, because I could remember enough to whet my appetite, but not enough to sing out.
I kept rehearsing the parts I could remember in my mind, thinking it might jar loose the rest of it, as often happens, but no go this time. I just couldn’t quite get a handle on it.
A thought came to me to go over to the piano on the platform and look there. I did not in any way think this was the Lord. Sure, people sometimes left song sheets on the piano, but the odds that this old song might be lying around there were about nil. But to silence the thought I walked over anyway. There was nothing on the piano: no music, no song sheets, nothing. “Well it’s not like I expected there would be. Just a crazy thought!”
I was about to turn away when I spied something white at the far end of the piano, beyond the music holder, lying flat at the very edge. It was a piece of paper. “Hmm, wonder what that could be? Guess I won't be satisfied 'till I check it out.” I climbed the platform and approached the piano. As I got closer I noticed there were two sheets of paper lying one on top of the other. All of a sudden there was a lot riding on what were on those 2 sheets of paper! I rounded the piano bench, bringing them into full view, and my eyes lit on the top sheet.
It was the song. IT WAS THE SONG! Titled “More of You” from Psalm 63 with no author listed. Every verse, every word was where I was at in my walk with the Lord:

Earnestly I seek You
With all my heart I long for You
Like dry desert sands I thirst for You

I’ve seen You in Your power
I’ve seen You in Your majesty
Your wondrous love has changed me
Now You are all I want
You’re more than life to me…

Awake my soul awake!
Put on the song of praise
O God will You please hear my cry
And draw me close to You?

And let my spirit soar into Your presence Lord
For only You can satisfy this longing that is deep inside
I hunger and thirst for more of You
I hunger and thirst for more of You.

I searched the whole platform: the keyboard, all the music stands, the drums…. There was not another song or sheet of paper anywhere except those two songs stacked neatly on the far side of the piano. “More of You” which the Holy Spirit had already laid on my heart, and the second one, “Open the Eyes of my Heart Lord.” (“Open the eyes of my Heart Lord, open the eyes of my Heart, I want to see You; I want to see You.”)
The Lord had given me my morning’s marching orders via a miracle and I sang those two songs with all my heart for the rest of my 2 hour time slot. And two days later I’m still singing them. They are what He wants me to cry out for and proclaim, and by extension, what He wants to give me. (“To see You high and lifted up, shining in the light of Your glory. Pour out Your power and love, as we cry ‘Holy! Holy! Holy!’”).