Today, we use the phrase "praise and worship" as commonly as "In Jesus Name" and so many other phrases we all-too-casually throw out without the appropriate level of thought, reverence and consideration; it's just part of our "jargon."
Last night, however, a passage referencing both praise & worship caught my attention, and as I dug a little deeper, I found it to be worth sharing:
"Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. The Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel, with a very loud voice." 2 Chronicles 20:18-19 (NASB)
I noticed that the two words used here for "worshiping" (v. 18) and "praise" (v. 19) are two different words in the Hebrew. The word used for worship distinctly implies one laying prostrate on the ground, face down. As you may notice, there is a reference to some of the men then standing up...to praise. Well, this word translated as "praise" implies absolutely uninhibited shouting, vocal cheering and a large show altogether. This is NOT a shy moment!
What struck me was this question: for all the times I say that it's time for "praise & worship" (in whatever context!), in my life, how often do I either praise or worship in the sense of these words above and their original meaning? And certainly, another worthy question is how often do I do both??
For me, this was a good reminder not to forget the core of what those times are about - not only in act, but in spirit. Hope they serve as reminders and encouragement to you too. Don't forget that "all scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16, NIV)!
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