"But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one; for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Luke 10:41-42.
Jesus had a way of cutting right to the heart of the matter. He said that there was only one thing necessary. Wow, only one. Out of all the things that we have to worry about and he brings it down to one. I believe Jesus was making the point that we should not worry and make a fuss over "things".
I can relate to Martha's frustration with Mary's lack of concern for the things that needed to be done for the meal preparation. I had felt the pressure involved with making sure the food taste delicious and is the proper temperature, and is not over cooked or under cooked, and is served attractively. I'm sure Martha just wanted everything to be "just right" for Jesus. But, even our best intentions can go array. Verse 40 tells us that she was distracted with all her preparations.
We, too, have been guilty of being distracted. Have you ever been too busy? Have you been so pressed for time that you forgot to do something important? Have you ever missed an important appointment because you were in the middle of something else? Have you you ever been too busy. I think Martha was too busy and she had forgotten what was really important. Why had she invited Jesus to come and have a meal with her and her sister and brother? She had invited him because she wanted to spend time with him. And now he is there and she doesn't feel that she has time to sit down and listen to him.
Mary, on the other hand, is not distracted at all. She knows somehow, the importance of this moment. She has chosen the one thing that is necessary. Mary is seated at Jesus feet, (verse 39) and she is listening to the Lord's word. Sitting at Jesus feet and hanging on to his every word is worship. Worship is the one thing necessary. All those other things will work out OK. The meal will be eaten and forgotten, but Jesus words live on for all eternity.
Give me a heart like Mary, Lord; a heart that worships. May I choose the one thing necessary and not be burdened with the busyness of life and all it's distractions.
Showing posts with label Worship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Worship. Show all posts
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Sunday, February 12, 2012
The Greatest Commandment
Deuteronomy 6:5, "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might."
A. W. Tozar writes in The Pursuit of God, that God formed us for himself, that all things were created for his pleasure, and God's desire is that we would see him and live with him and draw our lives from him. The soul of a believer longs to worship; in fact we were created to worship God.
The Pursuit of God is one of those books that stirs the heart every time you read it. The first time I read it was in 1981 and it kindled a fire in my bosom that has never gone out. It was then that I joined the ranks of what A. W. Tozar, it's author, called the "fellowship of the burning heart": those who seek to love God with all their heart, soul, and might.
One such man was Frederick Faber, a poet, songwriter, and a theologian. Tozar included some of Faber's works in The Pursuit of God. One of those poems impressed me so that I memorized it and have never forgotten it. I have included it below for your pleasure.
A. W. Tozar writes in The Pursuit of God, that God formed us for himself, that all things were created for his pleasure, and God's desire is that we would see him and live with him and draw our lives from him. The soul of a believer longs to worship; in fact we were created to worship God.
The Pursuit of God is one of those books that stirs the heart every time you read it. The first time I read it was in 1981 and it kindled a fire in my bosom that has never gone out. It was then that I joined the ranks of what A. W. Tozar, it's author, called the "fellowship of the burning heart": those who seek to love God with all their heart, soul, and might.
One such man was Frederick Faber, a poet, songwriter, and a theologian. Tozar included some of Faber's works in The Pursuit of God. One of those poems impressed me so that I memorized it and have never forgotten it. I have included it below for your pleasure.
Only to sit and think of God.
Oh what a joy it is!
To think the thought, to breathe the Name;
Earth has no higher bliss.
Father of Jesus, Love's reward!
What rapture it will be,
Prostrate before thy throne to lie,
And gaze and gaze on Thee!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Why Are You in Despair, O My Soul?
My body betrays me. This week I have had upset stomach and numerous aches and pains; all of which made me feel tired and old.
My emotions betray me. For some reason, I felt heart-sick, and sad; with a heaviness that stole my joy.
My mind betrays me. I struggle with lethargy and discontent; which makes me question all that I believe in.
My will betrays me. Because even when I know what to do, I am too weak to do it.
A sad situation wouldn't you say. I felt kind of like the psalmist in Psalm 42 when he said, Why are you in despair, O my soul? Do you ever talk to yourself like that? Sometimes that's what we have to do to get to the bottom of our problem; give our self a good "talkin" to. But, when we are in that place of despair it may be difficult to see the way out because we are overcome by the oppression of our enemy. In verse 10 we see the enemy's method of attack, As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me, while they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"
The next time you find yourself in this place, know this, you cannot trust your body or soul, they will let you down and disappoint you. Your emotions cannot be trusted and your mind cannot save you. They are a part of you that we refer to as the "Flesh", and there is a struggle in the heart of every Christian between the "Flesh" and the "Spirit". 1Corinthians 10:3-4, For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
Our "Spirit", on the other hand, has been "born again" from above and it is through the Holy Spirit who now lives in us that we will be victorious over all our adversaries. Hear the words of the psalmist in Psalm 43:3, O send out thy light and thy truth, let them lead me; let them bring me to thy holy hill, and to thy dwelling places. We are to walk after the "Spirit" and not after the "Flesh" for the flesh brings death, but the spirit brings life. And if we are not careful, we will give-in to the desires of our flesh and miss out on what God wants to do in our hearts.
Lets look again at Psalm 42-43. God's Word is our best offensive weapon to use when under attack. What did the psalmist do?
Eternal King, rule and reign in my life; spirit, soul, and body. Be enthroned in my heart, so that I may walk, not according to the flesh, but, according to the spirit. Let your glory be over all the earth. Amen
My emotions betray me. For some reason, I felt heart-sick, and sad; with a heaviness that stole my joy.
My mind betrays me. I struggle with lethargy and discontent; which makes me question all that I believe in.
My will betrays me. Because even when I know what to do, I am too weak to do it.
A sad situation wouldn't you say. I felt kind of like the psalmist in Psalm 42 when he said, Why are you in despair, O my soul? Do you ever talk to yourself like that? Sometimes that's what we have to do to get to the bottom of our problem; give our self a good "talkin" to. But, when we are in that place of despair it may be difficult to see the way out because we are overcome by the oppression of our enemy. In verse 10 we see the enemy's method of attack, As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me, while they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"
The next time you find yourself in this place, know this, you cannot trust your body or soul, they will let you down and disappoint you. Your emotions cannot be trusted and your mind cannot save you. They are a part of you that we refer to as the "Flesh", and there is a struggle in the heart of every Christian between the "Flesh" and the "Spirit". 1Corinthians 10:3-4, For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
Our "Spirit", on the other hand, has been "born again" from above and it is through the Holy Spirit who now lives in us that we will be victorious over all our adversaries. Hear the words of the psalmist in Psalm 43:3, O send out thy light and thy truth, let them lead me; let them bring me to thy holy hill, and to thy dwelling places. We are to walk after the "Spirit" and not after the "Flesh" for the flesh brings death, but the spirit brings life. And if we are not careful, we will give-in to the desires of our flesh and miss out on what God wants to do in our hearts.
Lets look again at Psalm 42-43. God's Word is our best offensive weapon to use when under attack. What did the psalmist do?
- Psalm 42:4 - He poured out his soul to God. Meaning? He prayed and he admitted his need of help. So, don't be afraid to tell God how you feel, but, then be ready to listen to what he has to say.
- Psalm 42:6 - He remembered the times in the past when he was happy and felt that God was near. Take some time to reflect on what God has done in the past for you.
- Psalm 42:11 - He declares his faith. His hope is in God and he knows that he will again praise him. He believes that God is with him and will never forsake him. Say it out loud. Declare your faith in God and do not believe the lies of the enemy.
- Psalm 43:4 - He worships. He goes to the alter of God and he praises him on the lyre. Where is your alter? Your alter is the place you go to spend time alone with God, the place you lay down your life in surrender to him and his will. And when you have done that, then you will praise him.
Eternal King, rule and reign in my life; spirit, soul, and body. Be enthroned in my heart, so that I may walk, not according to the flesh, but, according to the spirit. Let your glory be over all the earth. Amen
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
God Speaks Through His Creation
Did you ever see anything so beautiful it made you cry? I've heard the Grand Canyon has that effect on viewers. Maybe it was a sunset, or the mountains, or the night sky that made you stop and stare in wonder and amazement. Our beautiful world has that affect on us at times.
Psalm 19 begins, The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. But what is it that nature tells us about God?
Our world around us is telling us that God is Great. The size of our universe is huge, expanding light years beyond our reach. So our God must be very great since he created it all.
Nature tells us that he is a God of beauty. For he has created a feast for our eyes every where we turn; beautiful forests, magnificent mountains, cascading waterfalls, sugar white beaches, emerald waters, canyons, rivers, hills and valleys. More than we could ever hope see in a lifetime.
When we look at how perfectly ordered Earth's life systems are, we see that God is a god of order. The rainfall, the rivers and streams, the clouds, the wind, the polar ice caps; they all work together in perfect harmony.
Just look at a butterfly or a black-eyed susan or a bird in flight. They all have voices- voices that speak of God's glory. Not voices that we hear with our ears, but voices we hear with our hearts.
Romans 1:20 tells us that we can know what God is like through what he has made. God speaks to us through his creation. He's telling us that he loves us, that he made all this just for us. He made it all so that we would look for him, signs everywhere that point us to God our creator. He speaks in the cleansing rain of forgiveness and he quenches our thirst. The colorful rainbow speaks of his promise to never destroy the earth again by water. His sunlight wakes us, warms us and comforts us. He speaks in the thunderstorm of his wrath and power. And with the changing seasons, he speaks of the Resurrection and new beginnings. God is speaking.....but are we listening?
Psalm 19 begins, The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. But what is it that nature tells us about God?
Our world around us is telling us that God is Great. The size of our universe is huge, expanding light years beyond our reach. So our God must be very great since he created it all.
Nature tells us that he is a God of beauty. For he has created a feast for our eyes every where we turn; beautiful forests, magnificent mountains, cascading waterfalls, sugar white beaches, emerald waters, canyons, rivers, hills and valleys. More than we could ever hope see in a lifetime.
When we look at how perfectly ordered Earth's life systems are, we see that God is a god of order. The rainfall, the rivers and streams, the clouds, the wind, the polar ice caps; they all work together in perfect harmony.
Just look at a butterfly or a black-eyed susan or a bird in flight. They all have voices- voices that speak of God's glory. Not voices that we hear with our ears, but voices we hear with our hearts.
Romans 1:20 tells us that we can know what God is like through what he has made. God speaks to us through his creation. He's telling us that he loves us, that he made all this just for us. He made it all so that we would look for him, signs everywhere that point us to God our creator. He speaks in the cleansing rain of forgiveness and he quenches our thirst. The colorful rainbow speaks of his promise to never destroy the earth again by water. His sunlight wakes us, warms us and comforts us. He speaks in the thunderstorm of his wrath and power. And with the changing seasons, he speaks of the Resurrection and new beginnings. God is speaking.....but are we listening?
Monday, January 2, 2012
O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
I awoke with the old hymn, O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing, on my mind. Since then, I've been thinking about the words and what they mean. At first, I thought it meant we need a choir of a thousand singers all singing at once. I got out an old hymnal and read the words and checked it out on the internet http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_for_a_Thousand_Tongues_to_Sing . The song was one of more than 6,000 hymns written by Charles Wesley and recalls the words of Peter Bohler, who said, "Had I a thousand tongues I would praise him with them all". I believe the author is saying that his one voice is not enough, that we need God's help if we are to praise him worthly.
Somehow, I too feel inadaquate, unable to offer praise that he is deserving of. I wish that I could praise Jesus in many different ways. I wish that I could play a musical instrument and make beautiful music for him. I wish I had a voice like Allison Krauss to sing sweet songs for him. I wish that I could write songs like Andrew Peterson whose lyrics are amazing. But alas, I was not gifted in these areas.
So what am I to do? My desire is to praise him, but my abilities are limited. It may take some creative thinking, but there are ways that I can praise God. I can clap my hands. I can lift them in adoration. I can sing, maybe not perfectly, but sing none the less and make a joyful noise to the Lord. I can speak, extoling his greatness. I can dance and kneal down, posturing myself to show my love for him. I can write a poem, a letter, or a prayer offering my heart in obedience to him.
Maybe you can think of other ways to praise our Savior and God. I would love to hear your ideas and the ways that you praise him.
Psalm 29:2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
Somehow, I too feel inadaquate, unable to offer praise that he is deserving of. I wish that I could praise Jesus in many different ways. I wish that I could play a musical instrument and make beautiful music for him. I wish I had a voice like Allison Krauss to sing sweet songs for him. I wish that I could write songs like Andrew Peterson whose lyrics are amazing. But alas, I was not gifted in these areas.
So what am I to do? My desire is to praise him, but my abilities are limited. It may take some creative thinking, but there are ways that I can praise God. I can clap my hands. I can lift them in adoration. I can sing, maybe not perfectly, but sing none the less and make a joyful noise to the Lord. I can speak, extoling his greatness. I can dance and kneal down, posturing myself to show my love for him. I can write a poem, a letter, or a prayer offering my heart in obedience to him.
Maybe you can think of other ways to praise our Savior and God. I would love to hear your ideas and the ways that you praise him.
Psalm 29:2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Worship is the Doorway
It has been my habit in my prayer time to praise God for who he is; telling him that I love him and that I long to be with him. This morning, his response was crystal clear. For he began to tell me who I am. I am his child, chosen and elect, beloved, more precious than silver or gold. I am his costly treasure, the apple of his eye, and the pearl of great price. I am precious to him, his little lamb, his delight. I am the joy set before him, the reason for all he does, his prize.
Wow! What a beautiful way to start the day. Worship truly is the doorway to his presence.
Psalm 100:4 "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and bless his name."
Wow! What a beautiful way to start the day. Worship truly is the doorway to his presence.
Psalm 100:4 "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and bless his name."
Friday, November 18, 2011
Give Thanks to the Lord; for He is Good
Each morning in my prayer time I have been thinking of one of God's attributes and praising him for it. I just choose a word that describes God and use it as a tool to worship Him. For example, God is Sovereign, God is Holy, God is Just, God is Trustworthy. As I meditate on what that characteristic means, I think of ways that God exemplifies that quality. It has been a good tool to help me in my daily devotions to know him better and to love him more.
One word that describes God is the word Good. God is Good. Goodness is his nature. Every thing that God does is good. All of his works are good. He made the heavens and the earth and all that is in them, "And God saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very good". (Genesis 1:31) Not only are the works of creation good, but he shows us his goodness everyday by his provision and care.
Somehow, I think good is one of those words we use so often we don't attribute it to God. We use the term loosely in our greeting, "Have a good day". We say "This pizza is good." But, when we say, "God is Good", we mean so much more. God's goodness is entire, flawless, perfect, unblemished, whole, able, authentic, exemplary, benevolent, moral, righteous, and upright.
Think about it, because God is Good.
Psalm 106:1a "Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good."
One word that describes God is the word Good. God is Good. Goodness is his nature. Every thing that God does is good. All of his works are good. He made the heavens and the earth and all that is in them, "And God saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very good". (Genesis 1:31) Not only are the works of creation good, but he shows us his goodness everyday by his provision and care.
Somehow, I think good is one of those words we use so often we don't attribute it to God. We use the term loosely in our greeting, "Have a good day". We say "This pizza is good." But, when we say, "God is Good", we mean so much more. God's goodness is entire, flawless, perfect, unblemished, whole, able, authentic, exemplary, benevolent, moral, righteous, and upright.
Think about it, because God is Good.
Psalm 106:1a "Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good."
Saturday, November 5, 2011
How To Start the Day
I believe that how we start our day can affect how our day turns out. Here is an example. You get up late, because you overslept; so you rush out the door ill prepared to deal with the demands of your day. Don't you just hate when that happens. Or, maybe your a teenager and you never get caught up on your sleep, so in the mornings you are grumpy and irritable because you stayed up late on Face book instead of getting to bed on time. Wouldn't you agree that the morning sets the tone for the rest of our day.
For me, morning is the best time of the day. I feel rejuvenated from sleep and I can think more creatively in the morning hours. Every morning is like a new beginning; an opportunity to start fresh and do it all over again, and hopefully to do it better this time.
Years ago I read a book by Joseph S. Carroll, called, How to Worship Jesus Christ. I highly recommend it because it changed my life. The thing I learned that has stuck with me through the years is the importance of starting each day in submission to God, that is, to start each day with a simple prayer, a prayer of submission. This prayer has become for me an established routine. As soon as my mind leaves dreamland and comes into consciousness, I think of God. I may say this prayer from the warmth of my bed, but many times I kneel beside my bed or a chair, and I thank God for the new day. I offer my life to him, asking that his will be done in me. Again, what I do is acknowledge that he is God and I am totally dependant upon him for everything I need and I can trust him, no matter what. This prayer of surrender takes only a couple of minutes, but it fine-tunes my heart so that I can hear what he would say to me today and it helps me focus on what is of eternal consequence.
There's more, of course, to worshiping Christ than this two minute prayer in the morning. But, somehow it makes all the difference between having a good day verses having a bad day.
Song of Solomon 7:12, "Let us rise early and go to the vinyards;"
Psalm 63:1, "O God, thou art my God; I shall seek thee earnestly:"
For me, morning is the best time of the day. I feel rejuvenated from sleep and I can think more creatively in the morning hours. Every morning is like a new beginning; an opportunity to start fresh and do it all over again, and hopefully to do it better this time.
Years ago I read a book by Joseph S. Carroll, called, How to Worship Jesus Christ. I highly recommend it because it changed my life. The thing I learned that has stuck with me through the years is the importance of starting each day in submission to God, that is, to start each day with a simple prayer, a prayer of submission. This prayer has become for me an established routine. As soon as my mind leaves dreamland and comes into consciousness, I think of God. I may say this prayer from the warmth of my bed, but many times I kneel beside my bed or a chair, and I thank God for the new day. I offer my life to him, asking that his will be done in me. Again, what I do is acknowledge that he is God and I am totally dependant upon him for everything I need and I can trust him, no matter what. This prayer of surrender takes only a couple of minutes, but it fine-tunes my heart so that I can hear what he would say to me today and it helps me focus on what is of eternal consequence.
There's more, of course, to worshiping Christ than this two minute prayer in the morning. But, somehow it makes all the difference between having a good day verses having a bad day.
Song of Solomon 7:12, "Let us rise early and go to the vinyards;"
Psalm 63:1, "O God, thou art my God; I shall seek thee earnestly:"
Friday, September 9, 2011
JESUS IS
Have you ever heard one of those exhaustive lists of the names of Jesus? Every time I hear one the Holy Spirit rises up in me and I feel like 'shoutin'. The preacher starts in Genesis and goes all the way to Revelation speaking the names used to describe Jesus in the Bible. This week in our Tuesday morning Bible study we started a study of the book of Hebrews. One of our exercises was to list all the descriptions of Jesus found in Chapter one. It is quite an impressive list that the writer of Hebrews gives us to establish the supremacy of Jesus over the angels. In Hebrews 1: 1-14 we read that Jesus is:
Continuing through the book of Hebrews we find other descriptions of who Jesus is.
Don't you just love lists; bullet points that make things clear and concise. We make shopping lists, to-do lists and we use them for evaluation purposes or in making decisions. A list can be a useful tool. I felt that it would be beneficial to make my own list of names for Jesus. Of course, my list is not all inclusive, but simply descriptions of Jesus that I could recall from memory. Sweet words because it is like worship, yet powerful because of what they represent. So here goes! Jesus is:
- God's son
- Heir of all things
- The one who made the worlds
- The brightness of God's glory
- The express image of God's person
- The one who upholds all things
- The one who purged our sins
- The one who sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high
- The one who laid the foundations of the earth
- The one who made the heavens
- The one who remains, who is the same, and shall not fail
Continuing through the book of Hebrews we find other descriptions of who Jesus is.
- In Chapter 2 - He is the Captain of their salvation
- In Chapter 3 - He is the Apostle and High Priest of our profession
- In Chapter 8 - He is the Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle
- In Chapter 9 - He is the Mediator of the new testament
- In Chapter 12 - He is the Author and Finisher of our faith
- In Chapter 13 - He is the Great Shepherd of the sheep
Don't you just love lists; bullet points that make things clear and concise. We make shopping lists, to-do lists and we use them for evaluation purposes or in making decisions. A list can be a useful tool. I felt that it would be beneficial to make my own list of names for Jesus. Of course, my list is not all inclusive, but simply descriptions of Jesus that I could recall from memory. Sweet words because it is like worship, yet powerful because of what they represent. So here goes! Jesus is:
- The Alpha and Omega
- The Beginning and the End
- Creator
- Provider
- The I AM
- The Sacrificial Lamb
- The Captain of the Host
- The Bread of Heaven
- The Living Water
- Savior
- Redeemer
- Friend of the Sinner
- The Great Physician
- One like a Son of Man
- The Word of Life
- The Way, the Truth, and the Life
- The Light of the world
- Everlasting Lord
- Eternal God
- Begotten, not made
- The Maker of heaven and earth
- The Lord God
- The Suffering Servant
- The One who takes away the sins of the world
- The only Hope of mankind
- The First born from the dead
- The Head of the church
- The soon and coming King
- The Bridegroom
- The Lion of Judah
- The Lamb of God
- Jesus, He is Jesus
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
The Power of a Song
It's Sunday morning worship time and I'm late. So now I'm anxious as well as discouraged and tired. I'm alone, so I slip quietly into the pew and loose myself in the crowd of worshipers that surround me. The piano plays familiar cords, I relax and say a silent prayer. I feel safe. Slowly, the music fills the room and we sing the timeless words of an old hymn. The words seem written for me and this moment. God's sweet Holy Spirit washes over me as I surrender, releasing all my fears; bringing cleansing, healing, comfort, and reassurance. It can happen without warning or maybe I'm riding in the car or at home listening to Christian radio, when the lyrics of a song speak directly to me and my situation, bringing tears to my eyes and causing my heart to swell with pure joy. These times like numerous other times, God used a song with its powerful words to minister to my soul.
Some of the best songs are the old hymns; the ones I learned as a child and sang all my life, like Old Rugged Cross, I will arise and go to Jesus, and Trust and Obey. These can speak to me wherever I am, no hymn book needed, because they are forever written in my memory. I start to sing a line or two that I remember and before long I'm singing all the verses and the refrain.
Songs can comfort, songs can inspire, songs can convict, songs can heal, songs can encourage. What about you? What's your favorilte old hymn? What song has ministered to your heart at a time when you needed to hear from God? Hannah says that everytime she hears the David Crowder Band sing How He Loves she remembers the awesome time she had at Student Life. It was there that she heard for the first time, the story behind the song. Recently, Jeane shared with me the lyrics to No Matter What by Kerrie Roberts. The message of the song is to trust God and know that all things are in his hands, no matter what. www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA3MSqufJP4 Just last week Daddy was working in his garden and he felt moved to sing the old hymn, Have Faith in God and as he sang the words out loud, God's Holy Spirit spoke to his heart reassuring him that God hears his prayers and that God will answer him.
So keep singing your songs to the Lord and let that song have it's powerful effect on your soul. In Psalm 92:1 we read, "It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Thy Name, Oh Most High.
Some of the best songs are the old hymns; the ones I learned as a child and sang all my life, like Old Rugged Cross, I will arise and go to Jesus, and Trust and Obey. These can speak to me wherever I am, no hymn book needed, because they are forever written in my memory. I start to sing a line or two that I remember and before long I'm singing all the verses and the refrain.
Songs can comfort, songs can inspire, songs can convict, songs can heal, songs can encourage. What about you? What's your favorilte old hymn? What song has ministered to your heart at a time when you needed to hear from God? Hannah says that everytime she hears the David Crowder Band sing How He Loves she remembers the awesome time she had at Student Life. It was there that she heard for the first time, the story behind the song. Recently, Jeane shared with me the lyrics to No Matter What by Kerrie Roberts. The message of the song is to trust God and know that all things are in his hands, no matter what. www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA3MSqufJP4 Just last week Daddy was working in his garden and he felt moved to sing the old hymn, Have Faith in God and as he sang the words out loud, God's Holy Spirit spoke to his heart reassuring him that God hears his prayers and that God will answer him.
So keep singing your songs to the Lord and let that song have it's powerful effect on your soul. In Psalm 92:1 we read, "It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Thy Name, Oh Most High.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Omniscient
Omniscient is one of those fancy, theological words that people seldom use and many do not understand. If it is so difficult to understand, then why even bother to bring it up? My reason - to challenge you to consider the attributes of God. For, to know God is our highest calling, our chief goal in life.
A.W. Tozer, in his book, The Knowledge of the Holy, gives meaning to the word omniscient, "To say that God is omniscient is to say that he possesses perfect knowledge and therefore, has no need to learn. But it is more; it is to say that God has never learned and cannot learn."
We can add, that nothing escapes his attention. He is mindful of everything; everything concerning me, everything concerning his kingdom, and yes, everything concerning the world. He knows all things. Nothing is hidden from his watchful eye. My mind is limited. I only know what I see, what I hear, or what I experience. God can see in the darkness; he knows the private thoughts of every person. He is not limited by time, as we are, but sees the past and the future as well as the present. His word tells us that he knows the number of hairs on my head. For that matter, he knows my heart rate, my blood pressure, my cholesterol count, you name it, he knows it. God has intimate knowledge of me. He knows what I will do even before I know I have a choice.
Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out! Romans 11:33
A.W. Tozer, in his book, The Knowledge of the Holy, gives meaning to the word omniscient, "To say that God is omniscient is to say that he possesses perfect knowledge and therefore, has no need to learn. But it is more; it is to say that God has never learned and cannot learn."
We can add, that nothing escapes his attention. He is mindful of everything; everything concerning me, everything concerning his kingdom, and yes, everything concerning the world. He knows all things. Nothing is hidden from his watchful eye. My mind is limited. I only know what I see, what I hear, or what I experience. God can see in the darkness; he knows the private thoughts of every person. He is not limited by time, as we are, but sees the past and the future as well as the present. His word tells us that he knows the number of hairs on my head. For that matter, he knows my heart rate, my blood pressure, my cholesterol count, you name it, he knows it. God has intimate knowledge of me. He knows what I will do even before I know I have a choice.
Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out! Romans 11:33
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