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As I studied these two verses this week, at first I thought I would write all about the significance of prophecy, and how these verses are fulfilled so perfectly in Jesus Christ. I wrote the entire devotional, then erased it. I realized that that was not what I wanted to write about. Sure, it's important that we understand the prophetic implications of these verses; but since I have been writing to you specifically about worship, I wanted to make sure that I continue in that venue. And that's when it hit me - what finally struck me upside the head this week was where this prophecy occurs - smack dab (anybody use that phrase anymore?) in the middle of this wonderful psalmic (did I just make that one up?) worship experience.

Don't ignore the amazing significance of the prophecy - it certainly comes to fruition in the person of Jesus Christ. Don't forget that the prophecy and it's fulfillment are separated by centuries. If you are looking to study biblical prophecy and its fulfillment, you'd certainly have to pause and reflect on those verses.

I am, for the purpose of this writing, more interested in the placement of the prophecy . . .right in the middle of a fervent worship session. Here's the principle we can take away from all this: God is most apt to reveal Himself to us in the throes of worship than at any other time in our lives. When I say worship I'm not just talking about when you're sitting in the first pew of the church. I'm talking about those times, whether individually or corporately, when you find yourself engaged in spirit-filled, spirit-led, God-honoring authentic worship.

Don't get me wrong. God reveals himself to us in many ways. That is clearly evident throughout the pages of Scripture. We see God show himself in a burning bush, a cloud by night, a pillar of fire by day, a wrestling angel, a miraculous apparition talking to three men in a furnace, and so on. All of these revelations of God to man were designed, however, for all mankind to see. The kind of revelation we receive in worship is that personal, intimate voice that confirms in our hearts and mind that God is on the throne, that Jesus Christ loves us ferociously, and that the Spirit of God is moving among us. It is God opening our eyes to the genius of His creation. It is God causing us to gain a new perspective on the incredible gift of salvation afforded us through the sacrifice of Christ. It is that fresh insight we gain when the Spirit moves through His Word to convict, edify and exhort us to action.

We need to pray that God would continue to reveal himself to us through corporate worship. It seems to me that too many people are too caught up in the culture of worship and not absorbed in the content of worship. I'm seeing people become obsessed with all the wrong things - are we "contemporary" enough? Are we "cutting-edge" enough? Do we have the right visuals? Is that song too old? Is that arrangement too out-of-date? Do we really have to sing that old worn-out hymn? I'm afraid that our hypersensitivity to things cultural is impeding our need to be hypersensitive to what is truly the only essential criteria for authentic worship in which God speaks to our hearts: that we we worship in spirit and in truth. That's the bar, folks - and we'd do well to put that standard right out in front of every worship session.