Proverbs 2 provides a window of understanding for least one reason why we have periods of spiritual apathy. If you ever have a question about why God seems distant at times, here is an explanation. Solomon says to find the knowledge of God, you must be passionately committed to your search, you must be all in. Suppose I told you that you could find millions of dollars of treasure in your back yard, all you have to do is go find it. Would your response be passive? Would you start your search after you have had a nap or watched your favorite TV program? Would you put your search off until a more convenient time? Would you worry about the […]
Worship
159 posts
Even when you hurt, you are never alone. Whenever you are hurt by others, you can take comfort that Jesus deliberately planned that he would experience exactly the same hurt and pain so that he would know first hand what you are going through. He did this so that you would know that no matter how isolated and discouraged you may feel, he has been there before you and trusted his Father, so that you could also trust him. Hebrews 2:17-18 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he […]
Worship can be too tightly connected to your perception of your circumstances. If this is true your worship will be uneven and skewed by how you view your life experiences. For worship to be genuine it must be connected to the character of God and not to your circumstances: God’s love and care for you are constant. Your circumstances are not. God’s character and wonder never changes. Everything about you is in constant flux. God is always faithful in his relationship with you. Your human relationships are always changing. God never treats you as you deserve to be treated. Yet you tend to be offended when you think you are not treated well. God has blessed you with the wealth […]
Worry or Wait What is the opposite of worry? Simply answering not to worry is empty. People tend to worry about what is uncertain. But being certain about what will come is also not helpful. Because once we figure out what will happen then we worry about that. The opposite of worry is waiting. If you learn anything in the Bible it is that tomorrow is uncertain. No one knows what tomorrow will bring in terms of events and circumstances. But what God’s people do know is that God will be faithful to do what he has planned promised. So while I do not know the particulars about tomorrow, I can wait in eager expectation that God will be faithful […]
Don’t lose perspective! There is only one source of good. There is only One who is worthy of praise! Praise the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does such wonderful things. Praise his glorious name forever! Let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and amen! Psalm 72:18-19
Why did Jesus come? In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus tells you why he came to earth. His words are a mixture of joy and fear. Joy, because Jesus is my only hope. Fear, because Jesus describes exactly who I am without his mercy. If you do not think of yourself as a poor, blind slave apart from the grace of Christ, you think too much of yourself and too little of Christ. Listen to the voice of your Savior: Luke 4:16-21 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling […]
Jesus is the only constant in your life. What is only one thing in your life that you can count on? The faithfulness of Jesus Christ to carry out his Father’s will. Everything else is up for grabs. You and I may live as if there are other things that we can rely on, but to do so is foolish. Only God is faithful. It is what God does that matters. Like the disciples, we are often clueless about what matters in life. We forget that the only reliable relationship we have is the one we have with Christ. Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, […]
Three times each year the Israelites would travel to Jerusalem for a special time of festival and worship. For those who lived close to Jerusalem this would be an afternoon hike in the mountains. But for many this was a journey that may have lasted several days. There were no interstates, motels, restaurants, or rest stops. As the mountains surrounding Jerusalem loomed larger with each step, so did the dangers that were hidden from view. There were wild animals, robbers and rough terrain. This journey was not a safe one. As the travelers looked up at the formidable landscape around them, they asked where will our help come from, who will protect us. Psalm 121 powerfully answers this question. You […]
Focus your attention on greatness! Praising God serves both to honor him and to focus our attention on his greatness. As sinful people, we tend to focus on ourselves and our problems, and lose a biblical perspective. But as God says in Isaiah, “…my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” Praising God realigns our perspective and helps to conform our thoughts to his thoughts. Joy differs from praise but is closely related to it. As Jay Adams says,”Joy is a deep-seated attitude of confidence that grows out of dependence on God.”… Thus praise is an action, joy is an attitude. Contemplation of God’s sovereign working in history and in our lives produces in us a […]
Praise is the one action of the human heart that puts life in perspective. If you and I allow any event, circumstance, relationship, anything at all, to rob us of praise, then life will make no sense and we will focus on ourselves and our well-being. Only the praise of God will deliver us from our flesh, our pride and our propensity for self-pity. May our hearts resonate with the words of the psalmist – this day and everyday! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. Psalm 148:13