Praise With All My Might

       Worship is a powerful word.  According to Wikipedia it’s “showing regard with great respect, honor, or devotion”  In our very secular world that could be anything from money and fame to sports or any variety of personal pleasures.  Some would even strongly suggest people often worship themselves.  We have ideas and concepts we believe are right and then focus all their heart and soul into projecting these ideals on those around them.

Biblically, it’s my understanding that worship is to “bow down, humbly beseeching, and to offer reference to.”   —- and of course, these elements of worship must be offered to the one and only God.

As I consider our world today, God is not the only God who/what is worshipped.  There are many who devote their life to their career, their causes, sports, specific people and other elements people find important. Spiritual life comes at best, in second place to all these ‘things’ which claim our intense energy, funds, and interest.

So how are we supposed to ‘worship?’  There are varying opinions about this, as well, even in the religious realm.  Some are very demonstrative even within a worship service, while others object adamantly to any extension of animation.  The service is quiet and in no way exuding excitement or energy.

When I think of the Holy Spirit, I think of energy!  I picture the flames of fire on all the Believers at Pentecost.  Fire is energy!  Or I picture King David in 2 Samuel 6 dancing before the Lord with all his might.  Imagine if we had so little inhibitions we could dance before the Lord in a worship service—- or even in the privacy of our own homes and not feel like we might be doing something wrong!  

It’d be amazing to let the Lord, who we serve, know, we have as much energy as any person who goes to a football game and screams and shouts and sometimes jumps up and down with crazy excitement over a football that just went through the goal posts for the winning touchdown!  As Believers why aren’t we singing with gusto, while being caught up in the music? Or feeling the presence of the Father while prayer or even in a powerful sermon?  That would be true worship!

In addition to this, however, is how much of our worship is done in complete devotion?  Do we sometimes only offer ‘lip service’?  Are we comfortable agreeing with Biblical principles while in a church service, but when in our workplace we are cautious and timid about sharing our faith?  Do we hold back our worship when we are in public place fearful of offending someone or in an effort to avoid any kind of confrontation? 

Consider the person who loves his career or a particular sport.  How easily is it for that person to quickly talk about his love of his particular passion?  Often he fairly ‘gushes’ with excitement or enthusiasm about the latest success, or news item about a person who’s done something great (or not!) within this framework?  

As Believers do we ‘gush’ about God?  Do our eyes and total personality ooze with excitement as we talk about what God has done in our lives?  Do we share what a wonderful God he is and offer examples of the power he’s demonstrated in our lives?  When we do, this is worship; this is praising him with all our might!

https://depositphotos.com/photos/worship.html 

Even In The Storm

  My friend was telling the story of how during a raging rainstorm, including lighting and thunder, a purple martin came flying through the harsh elements.  Landing on a branch visible to the onlookers, safe from the storm, they watched as she’d feed her tiny babes sitting in the nest, and then brave the weather conditions to fly out again to get more.

While I can’t say I’ve actually witnessed something like this, my husband and I take great joy in watching these feathered beauties at the bird feeder near our kitchen window while we eat breakfast.  It’s fascinating to see them eat some themselves, and then fill their little beaks full to sometimes overflowing, to carry to waiting little ones in the nest.

Our world is changing ever so dramatically as we see people trying to change who they are, in a very literal sense.  The design of nature, as we know it, is perfectly made and runs right on time, day in and day out, without any interference from any of us!  God designed it that way, just as he designed us.

The Bible mentions that God even takes care of the sparrow, and we are much closer to his heart than even the pretty birds of his creation.  I wonder, however if we take care of each other in the same way?

Storms pummel our lives everyday.  It may not be a rain storm like the purple martin endured to feed her young, with pelting liquid wetness and sounds of thunder crashing in our ears or even lightening blinding our eyes.  But storms still come.  It may be financial,  emotional, physical or ever spiritual, as satan uses every ploy and kind of deceit he can fathom, to throw us off balance.  We are left fighting the wind and adversity feeling like we are never going to make it to ‘our nest’ or ‘personal safe place’.

As Believers we are told to care for one another.  While we each battle our own personal storms, it’s sometimes easier to manage or endure, not only when someone helps us, but when we can help someone else.  It's comforting to know help can come in so many different forms.  Both the momma and daddy birds are often responsible for feeding the babies.  Their mindset is to make sure they are fed and protected.

God’s Word tells us ‘where your treasure is, there your heart will be also'.  We need to ‘treasure’ each other.  As caregivers for our church, or biological family—or even someone we don’t know well, we can make sure our neighbor has ‘food’ in the form of emotional support, financial (if we’re able); physical, possibly in the sense of transportation or other way; or even actual literal food stuffs.  And there are dozens more ways we can help each other given our specific talents and gifts.  The goal is to make those we care about —and perhaps those we don’t know well— see Jesus through us.

When we are able to help someone else, the view we take on our own situation changes.  We are blessed when we can ‘bless’ someone else.  What gift —given by Him, do you have that you can share with someone else?  It’s hard to see sometimes when we feel like we are about to ‘go under.’  Often times, however, when we place our focus on someone else, our own problems, trouble or circumstance doesn’t seem so horrible, even while in the storm. 

Photo Credit

Remember To Pray

It seems daily the news has some kind of tragedy gracing the headlines.  Between the very different views in our political arena, the hostilities that seem to crop up from our elementary schools to a church house and everything in between, makes it seem risky on some levels to even send our kids to school or go shopping!

We have an election coming up in the Fall which could completely change the trajectory of our world.  I’m not even talking about which candidate is better than the other.  The simple truth is, whoever leads our country next is going to face great challenges, as ‘battle lines’ continue to be drawn.  

I think about Israel, who is suffering through another major conflict.  This type of dispute is not new to them, yet the last thing anyone wants is to be on the battlefield.  Real people are getting killed.  It’s not a TV drama where everyone who ‘was killed’ gets up and walks off the stage.  God said Israel was his and no man would overtake it.  Still people/countries try!

Stories of babies being locked in cages, or husbands killing wives, or wives killing husbands and other atrocities seem to happen everyday!   Honestly, I rarely read the news.  My husband does, however, and keeps me well updated.  It makes me sad and I end up dreaming about it as it walks through and torments my mind at night.  I can’t seem to process the cruelty; and there doesn’t seem to be a single thing I can do about it.

I was reading an article I’ve had for some time, this week, and it struck home.  It was about prayer.  How often do we approach the throne of grace with our pain and grief and ask God to help us work through this latest round of ugliness?  Are we confident he has the capability to even do anything about it?  What about the idea that satan, as ruler of this earthly kingdom is doing everything he wants, and God isn’t going to stop it?  Questions! So many questions!

The Bible tells us as the end times grow nearer and nearer, things will get progressively worse.  People have said —since the time of Christ’s resurrection, surely Christ will return again soon, because the world is in a mess!  Yet we watch as our world seems to get crazier and crazier, upside down and inside out and every side of sideways a person can imagine!

Surely Christ is going to return soon.  So, it begs the question.  How are we supposed to pray?  The Pastor in his sermon a few weeks ago included the thought that first and foremost we need to pray for relationships to be restored with Christ.  

Just because a person knows who Christ is, and perhaps at some point even believed in Him as Lord and Savior, they may not be living the ‘Christ life.’  Their relationship with Him has become convoluted because of satan’s work and their personal choices in this world.  

Or perhaps there are those who haven’t a clue who Christ is.  We need to pray they find the Savior before it’s too late, because the oncoming event is true.  The Bible is clear that the day will come when Jesus returns and you either know him as Lord and Savior or you don’t.  Once He returns there is no middle ground--or second chance!   Time to follow Him is now long past! 

But I wonder, how often do we look at our neighbors, friends from church, family members, etc. and hear something within the conversation about a particular need and we immediately respond, ‘I’ll pray for you.’   Our intention is solid, but we forget.  We get so wrapped up in our own lives we barely take the time to pray at all!  

Prayer is a powerful weapon agains satan.  As Believers we have every right (and are expected) to approach God with confidence that he not only hears us, but will listen.  Do we honestly believe that, given all the ‘junk’ in our world today?

I believe YES!  We may not see immediate results, but His Word promises that if we ask with faith—the size of a mustard seed— and what we ask is in his will, our request will be granted.  

We can’t possibly understand all that’s going on or know the outcome of all the prayers we ask for, but I encourage you to reach out to a God who cares, and wants only the best for his children.  —And then let God be God.

Photo Credit