I love a good season of fasting. Fasting and prayer have so richly blessed my life for many years and I love knowing that the Church is doing so corporately. I like knowing that others are also walking a similar walk. The real question is "What do I want this fasting season to mean?" Well unbeknownst to some, I've been fasting already about 21 days so I'm continuing in the same vein. This period of intercessory prayer has been so interesting. There's something very different about seeking God for someone else especially when you're seeking Him for something dire in someone else's life. You want to talk about fervent? There's a whole 'nother level of seriously approaching the Throne of Grace that I had no idea about. I would have said I learned a new dimension of prayer when I was not getting into medical school last year but that's prayer for yourself even if you're praying to stay in your right mind. Prayer for yourself is nothing like prayer for someone else. That's a different prayer walk all together. So that's where I'm at. I'm also believing in faith about a few big things. Big prayers honor God. I'll unpack that idea today.
Psalm 96:4
For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; He is to be reverently feared andworshiped above all [so-called] gods.
I've always been a reverent worshipper. There's something about being decent and in order that I've always loved. Even though I've attended a variety of churches, I tend to like ones that don't involve running in the sanctuary and things because that's just not something I was raised thinking is acceptable. I do however realize that where the spirit moves me to cry, it can move others to run. I find myself at home in spaces that darken the audience during worship because I love worshiping Him without an audience on myself even though I will worship Him anywhere. Its interesting how atmosphere can change the way you worship. I'm a closed eye worshiper. There's something about the Spirit that causes me to close my eyes. I think its important though to realize that it matters not if you cry or run. The Lord deserves your praise.
Psalm 96:7
Ascribe to the Lord, O you families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe is an interesting word. Its interesting because I don't use it but its what I do. Its my literal attitude towards most things. I know that nothing gets done under my own power. I know its God. Its always God. His strength is my strength. His love is my love. His mercy informs me of how to be merciful. The attributes that I try to embody are modeled after the Lord's example. Its all God and I'm always careful to give Him credit. In science, giving credit is very important. There are guidelines about who gets authorship on paper and in what order those names are listed. I don't need any help from guidelines to determine where God's authorship is. I'm real clear on that.
Psalm 96:9
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; tremble before and reverently fear Him, all the earth.
I don't often think about it but holiness is beautiful. And it feels good. Holiness feels like knowing I did the best I could AND that I know God would be pleased. I often feel this way in my relationships with people. When I think about how I'm helping my mentor with her son, I think about how God would be pleased with my attitude of compassion. I think about how my mentor's mother would have cared so deeply for this grandson. I think about how I have been given a spirit to give AND the ability to do so for this season. I feel very much like this is an act of holiness and its gorgeous. Its feels good. It agrees with my insides. And when I sing Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross to the baby, and he falls asleep, I'm in awe of God.
Psalm 96:13
Before the Lord, for He comes, for He comes to judge and govern the earth! He shall judge the world with righteousness and justice and the peoples with His faithfulness and truth.
He's coming y'all. He's coming to judge the world and His people. I'm just trying to be ready. The thing about being ready is that my faith makes me ready. I'm ready to be judged because God sees me through the blood of the Lamb. I am spotless before a benevolent and faithful God. The truth is I'm not worthy but He thinks I am. The truth is I'm weak but I'm made strong in Him. He's coming y'all. Be ready.
Psalm 97:11
Light is sown for the [uncompromisingly] righteous and strewn along their pathway, and joy for the upright in heart [the irrepressible joy which comes from consciousness of His favor and protection]
When I say He been there every single step, I know He has. I've felt His presence even when I wanted to be alone. I often want to be alone when I know I'm doing something I shouldn't be doing. When I would hurt myself because I felt I had no better way to cope, He was there. It grieved His heart too that I couldn't do better. I'm sure it grieved Him that I thought He didn't have my best in mind since He wasn't giving me what I wanted. The fact is that He's always right there. And the other thing that's so beautiful about His relationship to His creation is that He does sincerely want what's best for us. But like any relationship, sacrifice is required. To be righteous is a high calling for little ol' me. I'm trying and I'm striving and I see each and every day that He honors my effort. I fail constantly, but when I'm giving a perfect effort, He honors that and honestly I beam. I'm so proud that in seeking Him, I'm pleasing Him as well. I'm so grateful to know deep within myself that I am His creation with whom He is well pleased.
Psalm 98:9
Before the Lord, for He is coming to judge [and rule] the earth; with righteousness will He judge [and rule] the world, and the peoples with equity.
God's fair. This is a hard concept to grasp sometimes when He's not giving you want you said you wanted. When prayers go unanswered and God appears to be silent, its hard to feel like you serve a righteous and faithful God. Its also hard to see how this is fair. You're tithing and praying and fasting but sometimes I found that God wants to see my effort. He wants to see do I really believe not only that He can but that He will. My faith often requires me to make physical moves. I made one this Sunday. I did something so effortless and with great obedience and because I knew it was Him, I had no issues with it. Its a step I didn't see myself making at all 2015. Not at all. God isn't cheating anyone. He isn't a man. He's exactly who He says He is and the Word will tell you who that is. Go get your some Bible and relax your nerves. Lord knows it helps me.
Psalm 99:6
Moses and Aaron were among His priests, and Samuel was among those who called upon His name; they called upon the Lord, and He answered them.
God is the same. He's the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. He's the God of Samuel and Caleb, Aaron and Moses. He's the same. He always has been, always will be, and is today. God is. When they called upon Him, He answered. He's in the same business today. He still answers prayer. The real question is do you have faith? Do you have faith to believe God will, can, and does? Does your faith allow you to believe things you can't see? Does your faith allow you to believe things no one sees? Mine hasn't always but it does now. I believe God for things that make other people think I'm crazy but I feel that honors God. What better testimony than to pray for something that no one can foresee and watch it come to pass? And then to have written it down or told someone and to then have that testimony? I think there's something important about telling a trusted individual what you think God is saying to you because when it comes to pass, that confirms both in your life and theirs that God is still doing amazing things. Miracles abound. I pray big prayers because I serve a big God. My faith has to demonstrate who I believe God to be. If I don't ask Him to enable me to do the things He's put on my heart that are clearly not within my human ability or things that no one can foresee, what does that say about how I see Him? I see Him as all knowing and capable and if it be His will, I know He will deliver. I believe God.
Psalm 100:2-3
Serve the Lord with gladness! Come before His presence with singing!
Know (perceive, recognize, and understand with approval) that the Lord is God! It is He Who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His]! We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Worshiping the Lord is something that I get caught up in. I love getting lost in worship. I love how my mind goes blank except to praise Him. I know Him because I believe His Word but I also know Him because He speaks to me. I know Him because so many times He's directed me and I've heeded and been blessed. So many things could only have been God. When I look into the face of the baby I'm keeping, there is no way I could ever doubt Him. When that baby falls asleep to worship music? Lay me right out Jesus because its too much. I'm so thankful for God... for His provision, His love, and His creation. I'm His and He's mine.
Psalm 100:4-5
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name!
For the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting, His faithfulness andtruth endure to all generations.
ere Listen...I like to start my worship out with Tasha Cobb "Happy" because that's how the Lord makes me feel. I'm so joyous in His presence but its not always that way. Worship isn't always happy. Precious Lord, my favorite hymn, was written under duress and the lyrics slay me every time. Worship doesn't mean happiness....it means joy. It means honoring God through praise but sometimes that praise is a sacrifice of praise. Sacrifice means your praise is costing you something. This devotional is costing me something. Its a sacrifice of praise but its also sharpening my relationship with Him and my devotion. My level of devotion has risen exponentially. I find that because I read the word so regularly, I thirst for the Word. I need to hear from God everyday. God is good and He's faithful but that doesn't mean its always roses. This devotional isn't always roses. Sometimes the things that come up for me when I read the Word aren't pretty. I'm often reminded of my failing but in the same moment God reminds me that He is who He is. He is my provider, my healer, my comforter, and my joy. He is the morning after a long night of mourning. He is ever present. He loves me. And for this, these and all other things, I am so grateful and I absolutely have a reason to praise even when its a sacrifice.
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