moments to remember

Its has been a very rainy, icy, windy, wet, cold, muddy sort of day outside...

What a perfect opportunity to spend some time with Jesus-- under the shadow of His wings... in the warmth of His presence, thinking about His Word, worshiping Him in my heart!

"The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over You with singing."
Zephaniah 3:17

How often do we imagine God as singing?   This was a new thought for me.  I picture it like a mother soothing her child by singing quietly to him/her...  (I remember my mommy singing "'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus" to me when I was little, if I'd had a bad dream or when I was sad.  To this day that song brings me very special memories...)  Oh the comfort we'd find during difficult seasons if we'd bring our troubles to the Lord and lay them at His feet, and allow Him to quiet us with His love.

a quote

"If you would live in victory over the circumstances great and small that you come to each day... and if you want God's life and power to well up from the depths of your being... then you must refuse to be dominated by the seen and the felt." - Amy Carmichael

Happy Valentines Day!

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends."

John 15:12,13

the love of God

The love of God

is greater far

than tongue or pen

can ever tell

 -F. M. Lehman

"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life,

nor angels nor principalities nor powers,

nor things present nor things to come,

nor height nor depth, 

nor any other created thing,

shall be able to separate us 

from the love of God

which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:38,39

more on WORSHIP

"But the hour is coming, and now is, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him."  John 4:23

Isn't that great?  The Lord is seeking after people to worship Him! What a tremendous honor!  Even though the Lord, who is so far above us in His ways, doesn't need anything from us, He still desires our worship because He loves us and wants our hearts to yearn after Him and to desire to stand in His presence.

So what does it mean to worship the Lord?  Surely it must mean more than just singing (singing is merely a by-product of a worshipful heart), and a worshipful heart, I believe, is much, much more than just simply singing or being moved by music.

It involves a moment-by-moment mindset; a heart that adores the Lord deeply (which is developed by spending time in God's Word), and coming to a full understanding of our immense need for His grace.   It involves loving and trusting Lord for strength even when the circumstances of life become painful or difficult and the devil tries to weaken your faith.  Can you lift up your heart to worship the Lord even when times get tough?  Even when its hard and you don't feel like it?  (Hebrews 13:15 calls it a "sacrifice" of praise) It's actually moments like that when worship can become very real.

Other by-products of a worshipful heart are a life full of good works, a mouth ready to speak the truth in love, and a heart that is pure and is selflessly prepared to serve others.  Obedience to the Lord's commandments is so vital to experiencing true worship!  (John 14:15)  If all these are in place, when you come into the presence of the Lord, (perhaps in singing), you will truly feel God's presence surround you.  It becomes so real; not just words or the emotions felt through music.  Suddenly all the distractions of life, everything around you in this earth... it disappears as you become overwhelmed by the Lord and all He is and all He's done.  This, I believe, is what is meant by "true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth"...

***

You know what else?  The Lord Jesus is WORTHY of praise!!!  He deserves it!  He is someone so great that we cannot exaggerate Him!  He is totally perfect in every way and we cannot over-elaborate on Him!  We could live life from day to day, continually worshiping Him above all else, and He would still deserve much more!  What a freeing thought!  The Lord Jesus is someone you can lavish love on unreservedly; and He will freely return that love!  (Everyone is searching for love; if only they knew that it can be found freely in Jesus Christ...)

 Take a moment and meditate on this beautiful Psalm written by David the Psalmist, a man who truly learned what it meant to worship the Lord.

Psalms 145: 1-9
"I will extol you, oh God, my King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever.  Every day I will bless you, and I will praise Your name forever and ever.  Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.  One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.  I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works.  Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness.  They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness.  The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy.  The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. "