Worship

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Isaiah 26:3




Praise and Worship

From the moment I start my car, praise music flows. Recently, I’ve noticed that as the familiar words surround my hearing, my thoughts wander off to affairs of the day or plans for the night. Wait...Praise of the Most High God is flowing, where is my worship?

Praise is the thread throughout the day, but has it become so familiar that I lose sight of the One I praise? While the holy, powerful, glorious Name of God reaches my hearing, my mouth is preoccupied with the absolute trivial and fleeting selfishness of my day. Stupid stuff while splendor sounds. No wonder the rest of my day is caught up in selfishness; I am given moments of worship and I waste the moments on me.

He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: " 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.’ Mark 7:6

It’s not a matter of legalistically worshiping God at every turn. It’s a matter of being aware of God, all around, and responding to Him in love and worship. Creation shouts of His glory! Do I see, do I join, do I worship with?

From Levite to Love

When the Jews reached the temple gates, after ascending 14 steps on the southern end of the temple walls, they had only one, single, solitary thing on their minds: worship. These days when our church worship service begins, I find that I often have many things on my mind. The familiar songs begin and my mind goes into auto-pilot instead of being caught up in the awesome, beautiful, powerful Presence of the Most High God! One who loves and listens, delights and devotes, creates and cares.

Praise begins with prayer and prayer begins with praise. Constantly as breathing..only by His Spirit.

My heart determines my worship. Taking captive every thought, to worship, brings down every stronghold. Trusting in Him, keeps my mind steadfast on Him, in worship of Him. Here is His peace, His power and His Presence. When I come, loving Him. “To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." Mark 12:33

John 10:10 notes that the enemy seeks to steal, kill and destroy my worship of the Most High God. Jesus restores my abundant life in pure worship of Him! Praise Him with my words, my thoughts, my rest in Him.

Enjoy Him, Michelle mlpack1@yahoo.com

Desire

All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you. Psalm 38:9

"What do you want me to do for you?" Luke 18:41a

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

“Nothing dictates our lives like our desires.” – Beth Moore

“Beneath the desires of my heart is the heart of my desire.” – Beth Moore

In the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, Captain Jack Sparrow carries a compass. Unlike any other, this compass doesn’t lead to destination, it leads to satisfaction. Captain Jack explains, “It points to the thing you want the most.”

What do you really want? Your heart laid in your hand, what would your compass reveal as the desire of your heart?

Like the chest that contained the captain’s heart (Pirates 2), we bury our hearts, our desires, our hopes, our passions in the details of our days. We long for a passionate love relationship with God and with others, but slowly the sands of life bury us deeper and deeper from true life.

“How do I dig out my heart?” John Eldredge notes, “’How’ is God’s department; ‘what’ is His question for me.” He continues, “The way towards true life is not abandoning my desire, but entering more deeply into the heart’s longings.”

There will be stormy seas and shipwrecked relationships. There will be false maps and betraying voices. There is much examination and discernment as to the heart of God and the deceptive desires. The truest treasure is found in the love relationship with my Captain, and He charts my way from the helm of my heart.

Where does the compass lead? What do I really want?

Bonus: Desire by John Eldredge. If you dare venture...make this your next read.

Enjoy Him, Michelle mlpack1@yahoo.com