i love history. one of my favorite scenes from history is from world war two. i love the pictures and video of the army returning home and everyone celebrating in the streets. everyone had a common goal to defeat evil and we triumphed. the streets were filled with singing and praises for our country. it’s a beautiful picture.

we also have this picture in the bible. whenever the israelite army went to battle, they carried the ark of the covenant in front of them, and God always made them victorious. when they would return, the ark would come through the city first and people would celebrate the victory the Lord had brought. they would say things like this, which is from psalm 24:

Lift up your heads, you gates;
    be lifted up, you ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in. 

Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord strong and mighty,
    the Lord mighty in battle. 

to me, what’s cool about this is that there was excitement in the words. one half of the crowd would shout, “WHO IS THIS KING OF GLORY?,” and the other half would respond, “THE LORD STRONG AND MIGHTY!” they would say things like this over and over again. the Lord had brought them victory and peace, and so they praised His name with excitement. they had a God who they knew would triumph over their enemies, so they worshipped Him above all else.

we worship this same God. we worship the same God that brings victory when victory looks impossible. we worship the same God who saved david from people who wanted him dead. our God is powerful and strong to save. our worship should reflect the power of our God. our worship should respond to that power with excitement and awe. in isaiah 6, when isaiah is in the presence of God, here is his response:

Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

isaiah is completely overwhelmed in the presence of God. when’s the last time you allowed yourself to be in awe of God?

i want to give you somewhat of a challenge. next time you are in a worship setting, let your guard down. allow yourself to let God in. the first verse i mentioned: “Lift up your heads, you gates, be lifted up…..” that’s not just referring to the gates to the city. that statement is referring to our hearts. let the doors of your heart be open, and allow the King of glory to come in. He is strong and mighty and worthy of your praise.