Hallelujah Umbrella

 A sister in Christ stood up and spoke about a tough time she'd been going through. She went out for a walk in the countryside to get a break and try to process what was happening around her. Whilst she walked a line from a song kept running through her head:

I raise a hallelujah, in the presence of my enemies.

I raise a hallelujah, louder than the unbelief.

 

She went on, worshipping and praising God through the pain, uncertainty and fear. She arrived home strengthened to cope, with Jesus, with whatever faced her next. 

 

Praising, raising a hallelujah, looking at God and enjoying him, marvelling at him, instead of coming to him with an agenda or a "shopping list" prayer, had made a huge difference.

 

The image came to me of our praise and worship rising up like an umbrella to shield us from the acid rain of the enemy. Too often we're drenched by attitudes and actions that have little to do with following Jesus but which draw us, insidiously or blatantly, into conformity with the world and its way of doing things. It's hard to escape being influenced by the society and culture that surround us and have moved so far from God. We live in the rain storm and it's easy to get wet.

 

How do we stay dry?

 

Keep our eyes fixed on Jesus - who he is and what he's done; on God's qualities, character and promises.  Lift our umbrella of praise and worship, louder than the unbelief.

 

Umbrellas come in many colours, sizes and even shapes. They shelter us when we're still and when we're moving. They can be angled towards the direction of the rain or the too-strong sun. They can even be shared or overlapped and require no special skill to employ.

 

Your umbrella might be brightly coloured with the many different glorious attributes of God interwoven in your worship. It might be a single colour as you choose one of the Lord's qualities to praise and examine deeply. It needs to be unfurled, examined, raised up and used regularly to make sure there are no little holes which will widen and ruin it. Praise and worship - no agenda except to gaze on the face of Jesus, enjoying his company and marvelling at who he is.

 

With an umbrella of praise and worship we can walk through the storm or the desert's burning sun, growing our shelter with heartfelt praise that never ceases. Sometimes we might get distracted, not pay enough attention, and find an arm or leg is sticking out - we're gradually being drawn into the world's way of thinking, back into the acid rain. Sing a hallelujah. Hold onto the umbrella, make sure every bit of you is covered. Worship so that it strengthens and you grow. Allow the Lord to shelter you as you keep living with your heart, mind, soul and strength fixed on him.