Words of Worship: Creation

creation (noun) - the act of creating, especially the act of bringing the world into ordered existence

Synonyms: advancement, elevation, preference, rise, upgrade

Antonyms: abasement, comedown, degradation, reduction

It's the beginning of a new year, and new beginnings have been on both my mind and my heart over these last couple of weeks. With the literal beginning of the Bible, Genesis 1, being the creation story, this theme seems resoundingly appropriate for being so early in the year. God is the creator of everything, from the grass on the ground to the cells that make up our physical bodies. As human beings, we tend to take parts of God's creation for granted a lot of the time, whether it be the people around us that we vehemently disagree with on social media, the planet that we've gradually filled with trash, or our own minds that we allow to fill with thoughts that lead us to believe we'll never be good enough for anything. I've used the time preparing for this post as a time of reflection on what it means to be a creation of the ultimate God, as well as trying (and failing, but that's okay) to comprehend the creation of everything else around me. As you read through these songs and their accompanying Scriptures, I pray that you meditate on these things as well and find some peace amidst the insanity of today's world.

All Scriptures are taken from the New Living Translation of the Holy Bible.

Praise Is the Highway by Bethel Music & Brian Johnson (written by S. Feucht, B. Fielding, B. Johnson, C. Tomlin)

Featured on Bethel's 2019 live album Victory, this song does a great job connecting God's creation with praise. The lyrics invoke a passage from Luke 19, where Jesus is told by the Pharisees to basically get His followers under control because their praise is causing a scene. Jesus replies that if His children don't cry out, the very rocks would do so instead, which definitely would've been a sight to behold. All of creation recognizes in some way who their Creator is, and praising Him is one of the most direct ways we can acknowledge Him.

The rocks will cry out, the oceans will roar/The mountains will bow to the name of the Lord/He is our God, He will be praised/The idols will fall, the strongholds will break/Every weapon that forms will shatter and fail/He is our God, He is our faith/Praise is the highway to the throne of God/Praise is the highway to the heart of God/Praise is the highway to the move of God

Matthew 6:9-10 Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Revelation Song by Christ for the Nations Music (written by J. Riddle)

While I love Kari Jobe's solo version of this song, the original she did live with Christ for the Nations on the 2004 album Glorious will always hold a special place in my heart as one of the first songs to get me to listen to worship music outside of church. With lyrics taken directly from the books of Isaiah and Revelation, we see a picture of what God's heavenly creations experience as they worship Him for eternity. One day, we will worship in Heaven as well with the rest of creation the One who was, is, and always will be.

Clothed in rainbows of living color/Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder/Blessing and honor, strength and glory and power be/To You, the only wise King/Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty/Who was and is and is to come/With all creation, I sing praise to the King of kings/You are my everything, and I will adore You

Revelation 4:8 Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty - the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”

Authority by Elevation Worship (written by B. Ligertwood, C. Brown, S. Ligertwood, S. Furtick)

Featured on Elevation's 2020 live album Graves Into Gardens, this powerful song features powerful lead vocals from worship leader Jonsal Barrientes. The lyrics tell of creation's reaction to and respect for its Creator. We can take comfort in the fact that even in the darkest night, the Light of the world will not cease to shine. All He has to do is say the word, and creation will instantly obey.

Creation knows the voice that spoke into the void/The breath that brought the dust to life and sang the stars to form/The darkness fears Your voice that drove it back before/And though the night its long, I know Your light will drive it back once more/One word from You/Things change on Your authority/Your word, it’s true/Things change on Your authority

Romans 1:20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

So Will I (100 Billion X) by Hillsong UNITED (written by B. Hastings, J. Houston, M. Fatkin)

Featured on UNITED's 2017 album Wonder, this song with vocals by worship leader Benjamin Hastings is really beautiful. How incredible is it going out on a clear night and looking up at the stars, knowing that all He did all those years ago was speak and they came into existence? Yes, it's very easy to feel small and insignificant while thinking about that, but it's also so encouraging that that same God created me with the same amount of love and attention as he did the stars.

God of creation/There at the start before the beginning of time/With no point of reference/You spoke to the dark and fleshed out the wonder of light/And as You speak, a hundred billion galaxies are born/In the vapor of Your breath, the planets form/If the stars were made to worship, so will I/ I can see Your heart in everything You’ve made/Every burning star, a signal fire of grace/If creation sings Your praises, so will I

Psalm 19:1-4 The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice its never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.

The Stand by Hillsong UNITED (written by J. Houston)

A little bit of an older number from UNITED but no less powerful, this song with vocals by worship leader Joel Houston is featured on their 2006 live album United We Stand. We sang this song all the time in student ministry when I was in high school, and as much as I loved this song then I love it even more now. Yes, God formed me in my mother's womb just as David says in Psalm 139, but when I received His salvation my heart began the process of being recreated in His image. Like Paul writes to the church at Corinth, the old life has gone and a new life takes its place and it's so, so much better than the first.

So I’ll walk upon salvation/Your Spirit alive in me/This life to declare Your promise/My soul now to stand/So what can I say/What can I do/But offer this heart, O God/Completely to You/So what can I say/What can I do/But offer this heart, O God/Completely to You

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Psalm 46 (Lord of Hosts) by Shane & Shane (written by J. Riddle, J. Warneking, S. Barnard, J. Miller)

Shane & Shane have held a special place in my heart since I was thirteen years old and got to see them perform live at the first DNOW event I was old enough to attend. I'm very partial to their Psalms collections that they've released, and my particular favorite version of this interpretation of David's psalm is featured on their 2016 Psalms Live album that was recorded just down the road in Dallas. The 46th Psalm shows a different aspect of our Creator - yes He is gentle and loving, but He is also a fierce warrior who will not hesitate to destroy evil. The incredible vocals from the Shanes really adds a whole other level to this already powerful song.

Oh, come behold the works of God, the nations at His feet/He breaks the bow and bends the spear and tells the wars to cease/O Mighty One of Israel, You are on our side/We walk by faith in God who burns the chariots with fire/Lord of hosts, You’re with us, with us in the fire/With us as a shelter, with us in the storm/You will lead us through the fiercest battle/Oh, where else would we go, with the Lord of hosts

Psalm 46:8-9 Come, see the glorious works of the Lord: See how he brings destruction upon the world. He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire.

God of Wonders by Third Day (written by M. Byrd, S. Hindalong)

Featured on Third Day's 2003 album Offerings II: All I Have to Give, this is a song that I kind of forget existed for a few years (oops) but then fell back in love with. The Lord of Heaven and Earth is recognized by the universe itself as sovereign, and He deserves all of the glory. This song has the comforting soft rock feel of the early 2000's, and Mac Powell's voice is perfect for it.

Lord of all creation/Lord of water, earth, and sky/The heavens are Your Tabernacle/Glory to the Lord on high/God of wonders beyond our galaxy/You are holy, holy/The universe declares Your majesty/You are holy, holy/Lord of heaven and earth/Lord of heaven and earth

Daniel 5:23 For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone - gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny!

As always, I hope that you either found some new music to explore here or you were reminded of old favorites to go back and revisit. Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!