On a morning shortly before the new year I found myself at a troubled place wanting to hear the Father speak a word to my heart; it was then I was reminded of this scripture in Psalm 5:3; which says: “In the morning I will order my prayer to Thee and eagerly watch”. David prayed this prayer with a heavy heart to remove his groaning cry; it was a prayer that could shelter his soul from evil and keep his path straight. My prayer began with just a glimpse of how my life had grieved the heavenly Father by saying, ‘Lord I want to be Your son–a vessel you can use, so remove all my failures–I don’t want to fail you as a son….’ As I continued to follow the word I had heard and watch, I believe the Lord spoke clearly by saying: “Your many devices grieve Me because in them you believe they help you know Me, and nothing could be further from the truth. Worship has become just another song on an endless playlist made common by meaningless repetition, but still you’re moved no closer to my heart to know Me….You grieve Me in that you look to preach to others and your the man I wish to speak to as a son….You can easily see the moral failures of others but will you see yourself?… I made you to be My son, My ambassador.” Interestingly enough the word I heard refreshed my heart namely because I believe it was spoken by a loving Father who had my best interest in mind. I further took great encouragement in His endearing reference to me as “son.” You see, if that word makes you angry, you will likely miss the Love the Heavenly Father has for you as a son. Do you contemplate your life as God’s son? To all sons He would ask: just where is your treasure?; And what has your ear?; Where is the leaning of your heart and to whom do you cry?; And whereby is your life occupied? Today, He calls you son if you hear His voice. In this new Year will you hear His voice, or will you just be content to go thru life understanding your God from a distance, semi-friendly with the knowledge of Him and missing your place as a son?
Tag: worship
Worship at the Well
What does it mean to worship God? I mean, is it great music in some concert like gathering that enables me to find that place for myself? In John 4, the woman at the well had a lot of ideas about the place of worship, but an encounter with the person of Jesus in one day forever changed her thinking in reference to the true place of worship. You remember Jesus offered her living water from a well much deeper than her own. His offer involves a well that never runs dry. I would say that’s a deep well. Like all deep wells one must have the means by which to draw up the life giving resources. While her well required physical tools with which to draw, His well is only accessable by the work of the Spirit. Jesus went on to expand her thinking as to the true meaning of worship there around that well by revealing “God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” What she didn’t realize or even his discples for that matter, was that Jesus, by revealing the true place and attitude for worship was preparing them for a witness that could in fact change the thinking of the community around them. True worship would be the enabling power of His Spirit to do his will by seeing the fields (Jn. 4:35) and working to bring in a harvest of souls. What about you? What about your place of worship? Is it only enhanced by the sparkle of man’s abilty, or is it from a well that springs up from within? Does it lead you to the cross of truth? Further, does it lead you to a life of service? On that day, there was true worship at the well, because of the testimony of a life changed by an encounter with the Spirit of Truth. In your place of worship, pursue the truth and His presence will take you to deep water.
GraceLife 