Joy comes in the morning

Times may seem bleak right now, but we can know that even when disaster abounds and emptiness seems to occupy spaces once fruitful, our hearts are filled with an everlasting peace. Empty 'barns' and lost 'flocks' may not be our worry today, but empty pantries and drained bank accounts may be our present worry. Even in the midst of these struggles, we can rejoice in the Lord. Why? He remains our strength when our weakness abounds!

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! (Habakkuk 3:17-18)

Joy comes when we worship him - it actually ushers in his peace and joy when we surrender our hearts in worship. In short order, we find our strength being renewed and our peace restored. These are found in his presence, not in the circumstances we face. Even though...these are not words of surrender, but of conviction!

We can focus fully on the disaster at hand, or we can rejoice in the fact God NEVER abandons his chosen people. It is so easy to focus on the bad stuff around us, but when we do we miss out on God's peace, joy, and we might even miss his purpose in it all. It is in intentional surrender that we realize our greatest strength. We endure, not under our own power, but his. As we surrender to him in worship, we find his strength becomes ours - we walk boldly, see the good in the midst of the bad, and experience a peace that surpasses all the chaos and calamity that abounds.

Don't get me wrong - we might 'feel' the pressure and threats that abound, but we don't have to give into or be led by those feelings! God is moving, our emotions may be running on overtime, and we may be looking a little too frequently in the direction of despair. We choose to give in or rise above it. It is his peace that actually helps us rise above it all. It is a choice - it is a determined focus. Worship with all your heart and begin to experience God's presence with you in it all. He NEVER abandons us. Just sayin!

Power in his presence

Let your hearts fall under the rule of the Anointed’s peace (the peace you were called to as one body), and be thankful. (Colossians 3:15)

"When you enter his presence with praise, he enters your circumstances with power." (Author Unknown) We see stuff with our eyes, hear it with our ears, and even get it into our minds okay, but getting it to actually affect our hearts takes some doing. When we enter - we bring all manner of worry and heartache with our precursor of praise, don't we? When we enter - we bring all manner of emotional upheaval and depth of need, don't we? All we are called to do is enter - with praise on our lips - and then he does the rest! It may seem hard at times to really praise God, especially when the circumstances are beyond our understanding, or the weight of our burdens has become too great for us to bear up under. Scripture reminds us to enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise (Psalm 100:4), but honestly, it is pretty hard to be thankful at times, much less be filled with praises about the circumstances we find ourselves facing. God doesn't expect us to be false in our praise, but if we remember the purpose of praise, we might just be inclined to praise even a little more than we might feel like it!

Praise is really a way of reminding ourselves who is in the "lead position" in our lives - God. This may be why he asks us to enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. The courts were the place the King did his business - where he sat upon the throne and ruled. When we enter with praise, we are acknowledging he is the one on the throne of our hearts. In the mess of all the muddle around us, he remains the true one in control - giving him praise just acknowledges that control. It is an acknowledgement that he is the one who possesses all we need in order to break free from all the worry, weight, and weariness we bring to him. He enters our circumstances with his power. Power is the opposite of worry. Power is the opposite of the weight we carry - for even the action of simply beginning to lift our hands to the one who is all powerful requires us to lay down what we have been carrying, giving him the ability to pick it up and remove it from our midst. Power is the opposite of the weariness of our bodies and souls which brings us down and makes us slow - for the simple action of lifting our voice in words of heartfelt praise brings refreshing to our souls and eases the weariness of our bodies.

Praise is also a source of exchange - we leave behind what we came with and take up what he provides in exchange. We never leave God's presence empty-handed or empty-hearted. We enter - acknowledging the one who meets our needs fully and without measure. It is praise which opens the doorway to his courts - the place where we find the power we need for the circumstances we cannot overcome without his intervention. We look for power in many places, but it is found only in the midst of his courts. We enter those courts through praise, then worship begins to break open our hearts until we find ourselves "settling down" into the peace of those courts. There it is we find the exchange of our "missed opportunities" and lack of peace beginning to become the opening of new opportunities and the restoration of our peace. As we enter his courts, we "fall under his rule" - our hearts acknowledge his position in our lives, but our spirits are filled to overflowing with the peace which comes from no other source. We bring worry, weariness, and weight beyond our control - he gives us peace, power, and provision - such an exchange has never been offered in any other source. Perhaps we have been looking for the circumstances to change in our lives. Maybe the thing we need to realize is the place where these circumstances actually change - in the courts of the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords! Just praisin!

Living, Breathing Temples

Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! (Psalm 103:2-5)

Praise God will ALL your heart - mind, will, and emotions. There are just times when we don't 'feel' like worshipping, aren't there? Hit your thumb with a hammer and your thoughts may gravitate toward complaint and your emotions are probably all over the board. Get a bill you didn't expect just when you were planning to make that purchase of something you really wanted, and your mind will start racing to see just how you can fenagle both! Mind, will, and emotions can get caught up so easily at times, but then when it comes to spending time with God, we might just find ourselves dragging our feet a bit, taking our 'dear sweet time' to 'get into' that time!

To be honest, God doesn't always equate 'praise' with the words we speak, or the 'quietness' of the moment. Never forget the good things he does for you - this is a clue about worship. We find the blessing in the moment, whether casting our rod at the shoreline on a fishing trip or creating a wooden box for a friend in the wood shop. Praise considers the blessing of the moment - never forgetting each moment is planned by God. We choose to enjoy the moment, or to wish it away. The mind, will, and emotions can do a great deal 'in the moment', or they can make the moment miserable. The choice is ours.

After a hard day in the workshop, on my feet the whole time, lifting this or that, I can 'hurt' in my physical body. It makes me never want to take for granted the blessing of a day without a backache or sore feet! I mess up from time to time, saying what I shouldn't, doing what should have been left 'undone', or taking for granted some blessing God has provided in my life. In other words, I need his forgiveness. I don't want to ever stop considering the blessing of grace. How about you?

Never forget - it is more than a motto. It is to be a lifestyle that is exemplified by us not taking the moment for granted. It is given by God, used by us, and it if used wisely, it is a blessing back to God. Our lives are to be vessels of praise and thanksgiving. Our actions are to reflect back his grace. Our attitude is to shine forth his goodness. Our thoughts are to create an atmosphere where his presence is welcomed and embraced. In so doing, we aren't having to 'stop to praise', but our lives are 'living, breathing temples of praise'. Just sayin!

These three gifts

What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and praise the Lord’s name for saving me. I will keep my promises to the Lord in the presence of all his people. (Psalm 116:12-14)

We all have those moments when we want to offer something to God, but whatever it is we seem to come up with just doesn't seem like enough. God doesn't ask much from us - he gives us so very much, but he asks little in return (or so it seems). If you have ever tried to keep your promises that you have made to God, you might have discovered it can be a little harder than you first thought!

As our psalmist points out, there are a few things we can 'offer the Lord'. If you have also tried to share your faith with another, you are doing one of the things he outlines. The testimony God gives us is actually a 'gift' we can share with others. That hope he places deep within our heart and the sense of freedom he brings into our lives is not easily contained - begging to be shared. Whenever we share our faith, we are actually giving a very special 'offering' to God, but we are also giving others the chance to bring a similar gift.

When we offer praise, lifting our hands and hearts in worship, we are bringing a 'gift' that actually transcends our circumstances. We don't have to 'feel like' praise is 'doing something' within us to offer it. Praise is a gift to God - we just get the 'side-benefit' of being 'lifted' in our spirit and emotions as we bring this precious gift. Isn't it amazing that the gift we bring God could actually be something that benefits us in such a large way? Perhaps the 'gifts' we offer to God have a wider-reaching effect than we first thought.

As we move into the realm of obedience, we are bringing a gift that actually begins to 'cost' us something we may not have really wanted to give at first. As hard as it might be to share our faith with others, praise and worship when times are challenging, it can be harder to look into God's Word and find places in our lives that aren't in line with what he requires of us. These are the moments where the toughest gift to offer is actually be prepared. We are beginning to move from a self-governed lifestyle into a lifestyle of being 'God-governed'. We call this obedience.

We may not think of these three things as 'gifts' we offer to God, but could it be possible we should begin to 'offer' these on a more consistent basis? Just askin!

Honor belongs to him

Honor the Lord, you heavenly beings; honor the Lord for his glory and strength. Honor the Lord for the glory of his name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. (Psalm 29:1-2)

Honor is something we give to another, but we should never seek it for ourselves. When it comes to God, we first recognize he is worthy of all honor, then we 'ascribe' it to him - we declare it in our minds, hearts, and even our actions. Unlike us humans, he actually deserves that honor! Unlike humans, his 'right' for honor never fades and it is not 'circumstantial'. In other words, he deserves it because he is always consistent, never changing, and divine through and through. 

How or when do we honor God in our lives? I think it could begin the minute we begin to speak with him about anything at all. When we consider the words of prayer, are they filled with honor? Do we exalt his name and honor him with our words? Even our songs should bring honor to his name. This is why it is so powerful to enter into worship and praise. It exalts him - revealing that we are giving him his rightful place in our lives to rule and reign as our Lord God Almighty. 

How about those times when we share something really awesome God has done in our lives? Those words come easily, don't they? They proclaim the goodness of his activity on our behalf - having 'done' something that we both appreciate and rejoice over. Do these things have to be 'big' things? No, but a word of caution here. We can become so 'rote' in our 'praise' of God that the words we share are almost 'hollow'. The term "God is Good" with the response "All the Time" can become a matter of 'rote praise' if we allow it. We must always ensure that our praise or testimony of his actions in our lives is genuine, heartfelt, and reveals the true honor he deserves.

Worship is giving honor, but it is very specific. It is done intentionally. We don't 'enter into worship' by just singing along with the worship leaders at church on Sunday. We 'enter into worship' when our hearts are behind the words, our minds are focused on his goodness, and our emotions are given over to praising him with all our being. Worship can be quite engaging, but we might just miss out on something God will do in those times if we aren't worshiping him 'in spirit and in truth'. Just sayin!

Not where, but who

It isn't where we worship - it is who we worship. It isn't about a place - it is about the heart. This Samaritan woman came to draw water from a well, but I doubt she expected this encounter with Jesus. She knew the prophets had predicted the Messiah to come, but did she know she'd encounter him at the side of the well? She just went there daily to draw the water and return to her duties back in the village. Today, she would not only be challenged by someone who knew her past, but she was being challenged to have her future changed for the better. That is how it is when we encounter Jesus - our past might have been a challenge for us, but our future doesn't have to be!

“Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?” Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:19-24)

Here or there? This way or that way? These have been questions we focus on so much at times, but Jesus merely focuses on the heart. He got right to the truth with this woman. She needed 'living water' - eternal life. He offered it. Yet, she questioned him a bit more - not really recognizing him as the Messiah, but feeling he must be a prophet because he could tell her things about herself that he could not know otherwise. As the story goes on, his disciples join him and find him talking with a Samaritan woman. In their 'theology' that was not acceptable because the Samaritans 'worshipped' differently, accepted 'mixed marriages' between Jews and the 'people of the land', and adopted the ways of 'unholy' worship that were common in the culture of the kings ruling the land. 

We don't see this woman's 'conversion', but we know something happened that day because she ran back into town, told everyone what happened to her at the well, and as a result, many Samaritans welcomed him into their lives. We may come from different backgrounds, look a bit different from each other, and even have different perspectives on 'how things should be', but the truth is that when Jesus is welcomed into our lives, none of that matters. He asks us to believe in him, accept his gift of eternal life, and then begin to follow him. Will our 'worship' change when we do? Perhaps it will, for some more radically than others. What changes is our heart. We aren't the same after Jesus exposes our heart and begins the actions of changing our heart, so our 'method' or 'place' or worship might not be the same either! 

Whatever stands in the way of us following Jesus will begin to matter very little when grace does its work within us. We may not know how radically Jesus will change our lives, but when we welcome him in, we will be changed. Just sayin!

It is all about communion

I know, dear God, that you care nothing for the surface—you want us, our true selves—and so I have given from the heart, honestly and happily. And now see all these people doing the same, giving freely, willingly—what a joy! O God, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep this generous spirit alive forever in these people always, keep their hearts set firmly in you. (I Chronicles 29:17-18)

There is a saying that goes something like, "You cannot put lipstick on a pig" - meaning that it is pretty much impossible to improve anything that is bad and stinky. There are lots of times I think we try to 'put lipstick on the pig', trying to make ourselves look kind of good on the outside, but forgetting that the character on the inside is what God is really after. Some may even dress up really nice for church and live like the devil the rest of the week.

While God doesn't want us going around all dirty and stinky, he also isn't as concerned about what the outside looks like as he is about the inner workings of our heart and mind. He wants those dedicated to him, first and foremost, then willing to use the grace we have been bestowed to bless the lives of others around us. Ever try to 'outgive' God's grace? It is impossible, but I have seen some try to do one good work right after another, all in the attempt to somehow do 'enough' to deserve God's blessings in their lives.

It is a futile effort to live that way, though. God cannot be 'outgiven'. His grace is limitless because our need for it is also limitless! He brings one wave of grace after another, all for the purpose of helping our minds become uncluttered, hearts undivided, and spirits undefeated. There is something that is a natural outcome of being blessed by God - giving from a grateful and dedicated heart. This is fine, but doing good works to get more blessings is never God's intent!

A generous spirit stems from embracing the generosity of God's grace. When we begin to see our emotions settled, our thoughts reordered, and our empty spirit filled to overflowing, the outcome is worship and praise. That gift of worship may not seem like much to 'give back' to God, but it is the greatest thing he can receive. Why? It lets him know we have connected our spirit with his and we are settling into the place of communion with him. This is what God is after. Even when David and Solomon set about to collect all the materials needed to construct the Temple of the Lord, the 'gifts' were not just about 'giving' - they were about communion. Just sayin!

Sing a Psalm

Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him. (Psalm 95:1-2)

What is a psalm? We know there is a book of those things in the middle of our Bibles, but what exactly is the purpose of a psalm? In Old Testament times, they used poems and songs in worship, known as psalms. They were often recited or sung while a stringed instrument (similar to a harp) was played. I don't play a musical instrument, but I am capable of raising my voice in worship to the Lord. Does all my worship sound like a 'poem' or 'psalm'? Not always, but even words of thanks are words of worship!

We are instructed to 'shout joyfully' to the Rock of our salvation. Ever just feel like you needed to express something to God, but didn't know how? Maybe you just needed to let loose with a good old, "Wahoo", or the like! What did David show us in the Book of Psalms? He shared his experiences with God - highs and lows, rough seasons and seasons of plenty. He shared his fears, anxious thoughts, and dashed hopes. Equally important to note is that he also shared how God helped with each of those fears, anxious thoughts, and disappointments.

The purpose of a psalm is to express the heart. Does our heart always want to shout 'hymns of praise'? Nope! In fact, there are times when we just want to cry out in our disappointment and despair, knowing that someone who loves us so deeply will hear us and take notice of our extreme need. I know my heart is free to express whatever my spirit and soul needs to express, and God is not offended in the least when those things are not always joy-filled or triumphant.

How about you? Do you feel free to express your spirit and soul to God openly and honestly? You can, you know. It just takes the first word, followed closely by the second, and so on. Why not open your time with God today with your very own psalm - words that express your heart to the one who holds your heart so very, very close to his? You might be amazed how soon those words of worry, dashed hopes, and frustrations begin to turn into words of trust, vision, and peace. Just sayin!

Time for a celebration

Hallelujah! Sing to God a brand-new song, praise him in the company of all who love him. Let all Israel celebrate their Sovereign Creator, Zion’s children exult in their King. Let them praise his name in dance; strike up the band and make great music! And why? Because God delights in his people, adorns plain folk with salvation garlands! (Psalm 149:4)

If God were to hear you sing to him - just to him - what would that song be today? Would it be a lamenting tune, focusing on all the woes of the world around you? Would it be a cheerful, warm, and happy tune, focusing on all God is doing to take care of you at this very moment? Would it be a worshipful song - one in which the focus is not so much what God is or has been doing, but on who he is? His name is worthy of praise. He is to be exalted - not for what he does, but for who he is - our Savior.

Celebrating God may seem foreign to some who have not grown up in a home where God was in the center of all that transpired. It may not be the easiest for those who have come through life challenges too innumerable and disgusting to admit have occurred. It may not be foremost in the mind of the one so consumed with the 'why me' questions that they fail to see God in the midst of the present calamity. That doesn't change the fact that God should be celebrated. Nothing will elevate our fallen and broken spirit or emotions more than raising our hands and voices in worship.

God has adorned us with all manner of beauty - even though we may not feel very beautiful at times. He has outfitted us with 'salvation garments' - the best fitting garments to be found. Think of them as 'grace garments' - one fitting so well upon the other until we are totally covered by his grace. That alone should cause us to exalt his name! Nothing 'ugly' or 'unbecoming' is left uncovered - it is transformed by the garment of grace. Celebrate grace today and in so doing, you will be celebrating God himself. Just sayin!

So, that's what I am worth!

God blesses everyone who has wisdom and common sense. Wisdom is worth more than silver; it makes you much richer than gold. Wisdom is more valuable than precious jewels; nothing you want compares with her. (Proverbs 3:13-15)

Wisdom, worship, and worth - could wisdom lead to worship, worship to worth? Wisdom is really application of the knowledge we have already received. It is when we finally make the connection between the "how-to" and the "let's get 'er done". Worship is simply a matter of heartfelt dedication and directed thought, action, and emotion toward another. Our attention is to be directed toward none other than God - perhaps because he has shown us how to make the connection and we are finally 'getting 'er done'. Worth is sometimes the hardest thing for us to get hold of because we have all kinds of things running around in our minds about "worth" that aren't actually 'truth-based'. The term "worth" was originally attributed to the value of a coin. As a lump of silver, gold or bronze was fashioned into a coin, it was given a "worth" based on its weight. The more it circulated, the less its worth. Why? It wore down. Instead of the "worth" being consistent, it was diminished by its use. I think this is where we might find ourselves today - we feel diminished by how we have been "used" or by how we have "used" ourselves! We have taken on the 'how-to' and tried to figure out the 'get 'er done' all by ourselves - taking God out of the picture. Then we wonder why we never feel like worshiping, or feel 'devalued' when we see our end result.

At the point the coin maker created the small coin, he had an intended "worth" for the coin. He put into it exactly what it needed to have "full value". As long as it was uncirculated, it maintained the "full value" - but why make a coin unless it has a purpose? The purpose of the coin was for it to be given in exchange for something. The one who possesses the coin has a clear indication of its worth. Wisdom directs him how to make the most of the full value of the coin. Worship directed how he would use the coin. Worth determined the return on his investment. Too many times we "diminish" the worth of what our Creator has placed in our lives - through our negative talk, or self-deprecating behavior. The issue is not the "declared worth" of our lives, but the "believed worth" of them. We don't make the connection between God's "measurement" of our worth and our "perception" of its worth. We forget that unlike the coin, the "circulation" of our lives in areas where we got tumbled around a bit in some pretty dark places doesn't diminish our worth in Christ's eyes. In fact, when he rescues us from those dark places, he actually returns us to the refiner's fire! It is not so we can experience pain all over again, but so he can re-fashion us as we were originally created - so we return to our "full-worth"!

Common sense and wisdom don't always interact well together. We learn common sense through experience. You don't need "Bible knowledge" to figure out some of life's challenges - you need common sense! You do need "Bible knowledge" to get to the place of exhibiting wisdom in the choices you consistently make. You need "application" of the knowledge you are exposed to. In other words, learn what the Word of God says about God's creation. Get it straight in your mind and then let God get it straight in your heart! Wisdom is when we finally get our eyes off of what we "think" we know about ourselves and let God direct us toward what it is he sees as the reality of our worth in his hands! We allow God (our Creator) to declare the "worth" of our lives instead of us determining it based on our past or present experiences. Worship directs our focus - gets our eyes off of us and what we think about ourselves. Wisdom helps us connect the dots, so to speak. Worth is a result of the right focus, combined with the right understanding, affecting the beliefs we adopt as reality in our lives. Get the first two right and the issues we have with the latter one will soon begin to melt away. Just sayin!

Let's get our 'WE' out of the way

But the time is coming—it has, in fact, come—when what you’re called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter. “It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly [humble] themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.” (John 4:24)

Who you are - a believer in Christ, as evidenced by the way you live - that is what matters - not the church affiliation you proclaim. It is clearly a matter of who we worship, not where we worship. Do we worship the Christ, the living Son of God? Do we serve him with our full devotion? If the answer is yes, then we are on the right path! It is a measure of how 'engaged' your spirit is in the pursuit of truth - not that you have the 'only truth', 'better truth', or the 'secret truth'. 

If we are followers of Christ, our lives are to be marked with simple and honest humility in worship. That means we live transparently before our God - in humility acknowledging our short-falls and then paying close attention to the help he grants to help us with those short-falls. How do we worship God? Can we do it in our own strength? No clearly, we cannot, for 'WE' gets in the way of worship. We need the Holy Spirit to show us how to worship - to bring our hearts and minds into submission so we can truly lay our lives open before Christ.

We go wrong when we think we can just enter into worship kind of 'blindly' - stumbling along in our own efforts. We turn that wrong pursuit around when we open ourselves to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Who we are will not be who we are tomorrow when we allow our teacher, the Holy Spirit, to guide us into true and open times of worship. Why? We will be led to the foot of the altar and it is there we will be changed. The way we live is transformed by how we worship - do you see that in this passage? 

Rather than settle for superficial worship - the kind where we say the words, but the heart isn't really behind them - let's begin to 'worship' as God intends. Let his Holy Spirit guide our withered and worn souls into the throne room of God. It is there we can find rest and peace for the weariness of our day. It is there we find the health and hope our spirit so craves. It is there we are renewed and restored. How is this possible? Because we bring what we are, complete with all our short-falls, chips, and dings, and allow the Holy Spirit to lay us bare. It may not be comfortable to worship this way, but when WE get out of the way, God is free to touch us exactly where we need his touch. Just sayin!

Strum those strings

On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence. Know this: God is God, and God, God. He made us; we didn’t make him. We’re his people, his well-tended sheep. Enter with the password: “Thank you!” Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him. For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever. (Psalm 100)

I have a 'password keeper vault' in order to keep track of all the passwords I use - how about you? There is on password that I will never need to enter into that vault, though - the one that gives me access to the presence of God! Saying 'yes' to Jesus opened the access - grateful heart expressing all manner of praise and worship gives me freedom to enter into his presence time and time again.

Well-tended sheep - doesn't that conjure up a great picture? I walk through some small 'white fence farms' around me and there is this one place that uses sheep to 'tend' the yard. He places a few in a square enclosure on wheels and then moves it around and around the yard until that large piece of property is 'mowed' by his 'natural lawnmowers'. Yesterday, on sheep stood there just bellowing - no other sheep in the pen, so not sure if he was lonely, needed the pen moved to a 'greener spot', or just saw us and wanted to make himself known. He tends those sheep well, but I am sure we are much better attended!

The pen usually has a couple of sheep and even a lamb or two in the lambing season. Not sure why the solitary sheep stood there that day - perhaps the grass wasn't long enough to support more than one. That sheep wasn't happy and it was letting us know. I think the grass looked greener somewhere else and that is why it was making all that racket. Isn't it so like us to make a bit of a racket whenever we think the grass isn't as green as we want it? We 'bellow' for a bit of movement, feeling trapped in our present circumstances and like no one is aware of us. All the while, God is just waiting for us to get content where we are, calling out in praise and thanksgiving rather than discontent and grumpiness!

God can be counted on - even when we feel a little 'penned in'. He can be trusted to know the bigger plan - moving us when the time is just right. Choose joy rather than discontent. Open you lips and begin to praise instead of bemoaning the fact you aren't where you want to be. You could just be surprised by how quickly God comes when those gratitude words strum the strings of his heart! Just sayin!

Learning to tie a double-knot

I used to wear shoes that needed to be tied with laces a lot more than I do now, but whenever I lace up a pair of sneakers I am always cognizant of the fact those laces may work their way loose as the day goes on. They present a tripping hazard if left in that condition, so I usually take a little extra effort 'up front' to ensure this doesn't happen by placing the laces into a double-knot. That simple 'extra effort' doesn't seem like much, but when it is the 'right effort', the rewards are innumerable!

God-friendship is for God-worshipers; They are the ones he confides in. If I keep my eyes on God, I won’t trip over my own feet. (Psalm 25:14-15 MSG)

The 'up front' effort we put into our daily relationship with God is important - it helps keep us from 'tripping up' throughout the day. While the communication with him should go all day long, and there should be an awareness of his ever-present care over our lives, it is good to 'begin' well. This is a special time where two (God and each of us) can actually share a little about themselves and get to know each other a little better - but it requires some willingness on our part to actually put in the effort to get something out of the relationship!

To the one who suffers a lot of 'trip ups' in life, I'd have one suggestion - spend a little more time 'up front' of your day getting alone with God, if even for just a few moments. Why? You are less likely to get 'tripped up' when you have done a little better 'prep' for the day, just like when I put the second knot in the laces. In those moments together, God actually confides in us. These are times when the 'personal matters' of our lives are opened up and the one who actually can help us with them is at the ready to listen, respond, and even intervene.

When we are willing to confide in someone, we are showing just how much we trust them. We are willing to be transparent - truthful and free to be ourselves with that individual. God isn't going to laugh at what brings us pain or anxiety. He isn't going to shake his head at what we cannot seem to let go of, but which gives us more than one 'tripping hazard' in our lives. In fact, he is going to embrace our honesty and respond in ways that help us to tie that 'double-knot' in our lives that keeps us from 'tripping up'!

Before I learned to tie a double-knot, I had to learn to tie the single bow! This required a great deal of patience on the part of my mom, as she was the one who was constantly directing me to go under, over, and through so that the laces were fashioned into something resembling a bow. At first, the laces were loose, kind of straggly, and a bit too 'imperfect' to really be called a bow. In time, the more we practiced together, the tighter the bows became - the more they resembled the 'perfect' bow. God's relationship with us is kind of like that - we don't always get the lesson the first time, nor do we always 'tie the best bow', but with a little 'practice', we do eventually 'tie the knot' that will hold throughout the day! Better yet, we learn to die the 'double-knot' that isn't easily undone - the knot between Jesus and us. Just sayin!

Just imagine!

What is church to you? A social club? A place to meet and greet? A chance to 'get things right' all over again so you can go out and do the same old stuff next week? So many folks trudge off to church on Saturdays and Sundays, oblivious to any heartfelt reason for going to church or attending worship services in some location. Scripture warns us to be very careful when entering God's house - there is a specific purpose for church attendance and we need to be mindful in his presence. Right now, church 'attendance' for me is to stream the service over live video feed on Sunday mornings at the same time others are gathering in the building some call the 'church'. Mom and I find it quite a blessing that this type of service is offered for those of us that find it a little harder to get to 'church' these days.

Watch your step when you enter God's house. Enter to learn. That's far better than mindlessly offering a sacrifice, doing more harm than good. (Ecclesiastes 5:1)

The key is in that second sentence: Enter to learn. There is a heart attitude and an openness of mind/spirit that is called for in "rightly" entering God's house. The focus of our heart often determines the outcome. If we are simply there to "catch up" with old friends, we are likely to only have an outcome of a nice conversation that gives us all the latest tidbits of life's happenings. We fall short of actually being challenged in our spirit to leave behind our sinful pursuits and to take up a life of obedience and service. What does it mean to prepare ourselves for worship? What is it that Solomon had in mind when he said we need to be "entering to learn", not just offering sacrifices for the sake of sacrifice? To answer those questions, we need to look at what scripture teaches:

• Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. (Psalm 29:2) - worship is a celebration of the holiness of God. It is an acknowledgment of the greatness and love of our Lord - raising his name in honor. Yes, 'going to church' allows for us to 'worship', but 'being the church' is a much better investment!
• Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. (Psalm 95:6-7) - worship is a presentation of our bodies, spirits, and minds to him - in recognition that he is our creator. As creator, he directs the care of his people - we enter into his presence in awe of his continual care and his tender mercies.
• Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. (Psalm 100:2) - worship is a joyful thing, involving the whole being in celebration of the greatness of our God. It stems from a heart of gratitude and adoration.
• The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught. (Isaiah 29:13) - worship is the opposite of rule-keeping for the sake of having each rule "checked off the list". It is a connection of heart with God. 
• Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. (John 4:23) - worship is to be entered into with truthfulness of heart, openness of mind, and connection of spirit to the heart of God.
• But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!” (I Corinthians 14:24-26) - worship is an opportunity for the conviction of sin, the changing of lives forever. It is an opportunity for the voice of God to be heard, the spirit of God to be embraced, and the enabling of God to transform lives.

We could go on and on with example after example of what true worship involves. The scriptures are filled with them. The main theme of each passage is plain: God must be central and in making him central in our lives - we become the church! When he is at the center of our lives, all else falls away. Nothing else really matters. That is the spirit of worship that God honors. We enter to learn - enter to hear from him. The final book of the Bible is Revelation. If you turn to the last chapter, you find that the call is to "Worship God" and no other. It has been the message from the beginning of time - have no other thing you worship EXCEPT God. Will we "enter to learn"? Just imagine the possibilities if our hearts would be turned to God in this way! Just imagine!

Watch your step!

We are so blessed to live in a country where we can worship freely. There are still a multitude of people in this world who must live 'undercover' because of their belief in Jesus Christ - because it is not a 'permitted' religion within the country where they reside. The places of worship for these individuals are sometimes the tiny living rooms of a group of believers where someone opens the meeting with prayer, shares a thing or two from the scripture, all the while longing for a trained pastor to be their shepherd. In some senses, those believers are closely worshiping together in much the same way the early church did - or even as the nation of Israel did until Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem. They open their homes, gather under a large tree in shade of the day, or find a shelter somewhere just so they can be together and share from the Word of God. This is the heart that drives them - not that they have to 'go to' church - for they 'are' the church.

Watch your step when you enter God's house. Enter to learn. That's far better than mindlessly offering a sacrifice, doing more harm than good. (Ecclesiastes 5:1)

Solomon was charged with the responsibility of giving God's people a place of permanent worship - he built the Temple in Jerusalem - the first "physically permanent" structure for the presence of God. Up until that time, God's presence had been enclosed in a tent-like structure we know as the Tabernacle. It was "portable" and served Israel well during the time they moved throughout the wilderness, were on the move while taking the land of Canaan, etc. David had longed to build God a "permanent" house for his glory to indwell, but that task was passed on to his son, Solomon. Solomon gives us some words of "wisdom" about coming into the "house of God". It is a warning to those who would choose to worship at the throne of God - no matter where the 'location' of that worship may be. He reminds us that we are not to enter God's presence flippantly - but with mindful care. I wonder how many of us head off to churches around this world on our day of worship (whether it be Sunday, Saturday, Friday or another day of the week) without even so much as a consideration of why it is that we are going. I imagine that there are many of us that can say without a doubt that there is absolutely no "fore-thought" in that "church attendance". In fact, it is more of a social gathering than a time to seek God, learn of him, or celebrate his presence.

In Old Testament times there was a great deal of preparation that went into worship. Hearts and minds were "cleansed" - thoughts focused - bodies prepared. Why? Because they were entering into the presence of a holy God (even if they didn't 'go' anywhere to do so). Solomon reminds us that we are to use "care" in entering God's presence - coming into God's house is really another 'gathering place' for entering into his presence. The attitude of heart that he reminds us we need is one of serious attention - in other words, we have made provision to learn. We have centered our focus so that we are open to learning what it is that God is about to share with us. In the presence of God, revelation is available. Careful attention to being readied to learn is what we need to glean from this scripture. When we are "open" to receive from God, there is an expectancy that reaches out toward God in worship and in attentiveness to the sharing of the Word. We must enter to learn - come with a purpose. Learning comes as we become "acquainted" with the object of our attention. If we are attempting to learn the task of driving an automobile, we spend some time learning about what makes it work, how it is maneuvered, what distance it takes to stop its forward movement, and what steps we must take to ensure safety in our driving ventures.

So it is with coming into a position of being open to receiving from God - we have to become acquainted with the object of our attention. That suggests we have to place our attention on him - being eager to learn of him. This is the beginning of our journey - many are preparing to gather somewhere this week. What a tremendous thing it would be if we could enter into his presence this week with a fresh determination to learn of him - careful to enter with purpose, attentiveness, and great anticipation of what it is he has to offer us as we gather together! Don't forget to make room for Christ in your worship experience - after all, it is the real purpose of that experience. Enter into his presence - he is waiting to bless you with the best gift of all - HIM! Just sayin!

Praise Him, all creatures here below...

Praise the Lord from the earth, you creatures of the ocean depths, fire and hail, snow and clouds, wind and weather that obey him, mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all livestock, small scurrying animals and birds, kings of the earth and all people, rulers and judges of the earth, young men and young women, old men and children. 

(Psalm 148:7-12 NLT)

I had the privilege of enjoying a solid week with my BFF away from the busy schedules of work life with both of being able to just "settle into" the beauty of nature and the peacefulness of the cool pines. It was enjoyable to take walks among the tall pines and take in the wonder of huge boulders balancing precariously one upon the other. The gentle lapping waters of the lakes and the sound of tiny scampering feet as the squirrels made their way from one "stash" to the other just has a way of relaxing the soul and re-centering the mind. We took one Sunday morning to enjoy a rather leisurely, but long hike through the woods, listening in wonder as the trees seemed to carry the tune of praise to the one who created their majesty. I recall turning to my BFF and sharing that it seemed to me the trees were keeping beat with the song of praise gathering in my mind and spirit as we traversed that forest land. It should never amaze us that even nature cries out to the Creator!

Don't ever think the Master of all Creation takes for granted even one breath of praise. He is ever-listening to even the "breathed praises" of our minds! James reminds us that every good and every perfect gift is from the Father above. Nothing exists without his care - nothing then should remain silent where it comes to giving him praise and worship. As I set one foot in front of the other, pausing to take a photo here or there of the loveliness of the scenery I was beholding, the doxology so many of us may be familiar with kept running through my mind - "Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow". The words are simple actually:

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
(Thomas Ken, 1694)

The power of praise - it cannot be underestimated, for it has a way of filling the empty soul and encouraging the downcast spirit. The mind is renewed and the heart is set free to take in the beauty around, not by accident, but because God has purposed to allow us the enjoyment of taking in such magnificent moments. It doesn't matter where you worship God, although his plan was always for us to do it in conjunction with other believers. It matters that we engage in the action of praise and the heart-connection of worship. If it has been a while since you celebrated the goodness of God and enjoyed the many wonders around you that he has prepared for your enjoyment, then maybe it is time to just relax a little - allowing his presence to sweep over you until you are once again at rest and in peace. Just sayin!

It isn't the beat which matters....

Release your heart’s joy in sweet music to the Eternal. When the upright passionately sing glory-filled songs to Him, everything is in its right place.  Worship the Eternal with your instruments, strings offering their praise; write awe-filled songs to Him on the ten-stringed harp. Sing to Him a new song; play each the best way you can, and don’t be afraid to be bold with your joyful feelings. (Psalm 33:1-3 VOICE)

Sometimes I think about why God created some of the things he did. The Cholla Cactus, for example, are kind of prickly and pretty much a nuisance if they get you while you are walking along unsuspecting of their "attaching" capabilities.  Bamboo can transform a backyard into a jungle-like adventure, but get it started in your yard and be prepared to be overrun by that prolific stuff in no time!  Scorpions must have some "redeeming" quality, but I am not sure what that could possibly be!  Slime in the bottom of your free-standing pool really isn't all that attractive, is a hazard to your health, and isn't something we really want to deal with.  Bamboo can be used to fashion many a nice object from drinking glasses to rafts capable of carrying cargo - so it has good qualities.  That jumping cholla cactus is actually nourishment to the bighorn sheep in the drought of summer.  The scorpions eat insects which would otherwise be a nuisance to us.  The slime in the bottom of your pool actually converts sunlight into energy, is food for some living creatures who live in or around the water, and it actually produces oxygen, reducing carbon dioxide in the air.  We may not understand the purpose in everything, but know this - if God created it, it has a purpose!

Music was first and foremost God's creation.  Over the course of time, man may have adapted it from one "style" to another, but in the beginning, it was heavenly worship and joyous words of praise to the Creator himself.  It was designed as a way for our hearts to release the joy contained within - to let go and give all we feel inside to God in joyous celebration.  As our psalmist points out, when the "upright" (those who have been embraced by God's grace) sing glory-filled songs to God, everything is right on earth! God even warns us that he could make the rocks to cry out if we don't - so lest we think this glory-filled worship is an unimportant thing, we might want to reconsider our stand on worship!

Some music just rubs me wrong - it irritates me a little.  That form of music is not what I am going to listen to on a regular basis - in fact, I don't listen except when someone pulls up to me at the stop-light with it blaring so loudly from their onboard sound-system that I cannot help but "listen" while stuck next to them in traffic!  The words don't edify - they are downright ugly some of the time.  I just feel dirty listening to them!  If music was created as a means of worship, it stands to reason we might just worship a few things through our choice of music which are a little less "godly" and a whole lot more "self-centered" or "ungodly" in the mix.  This isn't a rant on not listening to "rock and roll", "music with a beat", or the like.  It is just a reminder to never forget the original purpose of music as it was created.  It was created to honor God, to draw us closer to him, and to celebrate his greatness.  We can do this in the sweet melody of hymns, or in the toe-tapping "music with a beat" - the heart expressed in the words which elevate him is what really matters when it comes to worship.

God's reminder to us is to celebrate him - to not forget to raise our voices in praise.  We don't want to hold back what needs to be celebrated anymore than we want to hold back a good sneeze!  Just as the sneeze was meant to release something from within, worship and praise were actually designed to release some pretty awesome stuff from within, as well!  Just sayin!

Bless God, America

As I passed a local church about a week ago, their "pre-4th of July" post on the billboard was simple, but it spoke volumes.  It simply read, "Bless God, America".  Now don't think you read that wrong - the words are not God Bless America - they are Bless God, America.  We usually associate the 4th of July with the words of the great song by Irving Berlin - God Bless America.  He wrote the song in the original form in 1918, but it would take on a new arrangement and be heralded during the war against the Nazi's and Hitler in 1938 as Kate Smith belted out those patriotic words of prayer for God to bless America.  The pastor's intent was brilliant - it is a call to change our focus from "God what can you do for us?" to "God what can I do to show you my heart of worship?" - two quite different foci indeed!

At that time you will say, “Praise the Lord and call out his name! Tell everyone what he has done and how wonderful he is.” (Isaiah 12:4 ERV)

A heart of worship - now that is something God wants to see and definitely a sound which brings joy to his ears.  If we were to stop long enough to actually realize the intent of our worship, we might just begin to worship a little bit more from the heart and a little less from the head.  You see, worship isn't about what God can do for us in those moments, but we bring to him.  We can bring burdened hearts, and yes, he will unburden them.  We can bring our everyday needs, and even the ones not so everyday, and he will meet them with all the splendor of heaven's bounty.  Yet, in that coming, he expects us to linger a little, to just take time at his feet and relish his presence.  In so doing, we find our hearts begin to turn from "God bless me" to "God I want to just bless you".

Worship is more than coming into his presence, it is experiencing the renewal of his presence and the intimacy of it, too.  We can get ourselves into a lot of things (and we do), but to be really engaged in the object of our attention, it has to consume our attention.  I think this is what the pastor had in mind - for God to become the consuming force of our attention - no so we might be blessed more and more by the "big God in the sky", but so we may enjoy the peace and restoration of his presence.  May I take moment to break worship down a little?  

W - WILL surrendered.  In order for worship to be "right", there must be a surrender of the will of man to the will of God.  All worship which is less than a total surrender is simply not worship, it is religion.  

O - OPENED heart and mind.  Nothing will take us into the presence of God quicker than recognizing the value of letting down our guard - that one we place so firmly over our thoughts, intentions, and fears. 

R - RESPONSIVE attitude.  A responsive attitude is the byproduct of a surrendered will and and opened heart and mind.  There is nothing more welcomed by God than a heart yielded to his purposes and a mind open to his teachings.  In response to his presence, we let ourselves go and really begin to open up to him.

S - SELFLESS focus.  We all realize the importance of our focus - wherever our attention is directed, our heart and feet follow.  If we begin to focus less on self and more on him, maybe we'd come into worship with a little less of the "bless me" mentality and a little more of the "God I am here to spend time with you - just the two of us getting to know each other better".

H - HONEST expression.  Honoring God is done not so much in the words we choose which sound "theological", but in the expression of our hearts in honesty and true intimacy.  God is blessed more in our honest expressions of hurt, pain, and anxiety than he is in the words of "theological grandeur" we might hear some mouth.

I - INTENTIONAL purpose.  Nothing pleases God more than to actually be intentional in our time with him - to have it set aside, purposefully planned as time for just the two of us to be together.  It is no different than when you and that special friend have a time set aside to just bond and share your deepest of intimacies.  Being intentional means we set aside whatever distracts and come with purpose into what proves to be the "best of times".

P - PASSIONATE exchange. We begin with yielding and we end with being blessed - even though our intent was to bless him!  This is just like God - calling us into his presence, bringing us closer and closer to him, and then blessing us as much as we have blessed him.  Intentional worship always brings about a two-way exchange - because it is simply impossible for God to share time with us and us not to walk away changed as a result.  Just sayin!

WHO not HOW

We certainly find ways to be very narrow minded when it comes to what we believe, don't we?  Don't get me wrong - there are definitely times when we need to be rather "narrow" in our focus, but it is never to be to the exclusion of truth or the denial of another's faith in Christ.  Sometimes we get so caught up in the differences in HOW we worship as congregations that we miss the fact we are worshiping the same GOD!  It isn't HOW - it is WHO!  Three simple letters make all the difference - but only in the arrangement of those letters!  What matters is the doctrine we adhere to as we walk this earth.  If a person claims to be Christian, but then denies the work of the cross, making Jesus nothing more than a great teacher or another of the prophets, then the doctrine is wrong - therefore, the worship is not correct.  If a person fully appreciates the aspects of grace, knowing full-well that the cross of Christ, his life, death, burial and resurrection make it possible for a man to enter into eternal life with God, then their doctrine aligns with scripture.  That same individual might not "worship" in the same way we do, but it doesn't make their "style" of worship wrong.  In fact, there is as much diversity in "style" as there are people on this earth!  What makes worship "right" or "wrong" is WHO we worship - what we do with Jesus!

It doesn’t matter if you are circumcised or not. All that matters is that you are a new person.  If you follow this rule, you will belong to God’s true people. God will treat you with undeserved kindness and will bless you with peace. (Galations 6:15-16 CEV)

It is this matter of being "new" in Christ Jesus which unites all believers - regardless of our "style".  I probably tend to "lean" to the style of worship where I sing out loudly, enjoy the band playing robustly, and even raise my hands to heaven in honor of the one I am singing these worship songs to in the first place.  But...that doesn't make my "style" of worship the "right" one for everyone.  I was raised Catholic, seeing the many changes in the "style" of worship over the years.  We went from the old school Latin masses where no one knew what was being said and everyone was as somber as funeral attendees to the folk mass in which lay leaders strummed guitars and we sang rounds of Kumbaya.  Now, the latter "style" fit my fancy a little closer than the former, but it still pales compared to where I find myself today in worship.  Why?  In those days, I still hadn't connect the "WHO" of worship to the "HOW" of worship. I just liked the beat and tempo of the guitar music and "hip" songs!

I think Paul wants us to remember this important fact - WHO matters more than HOW.  It matters not whether we are "circumcised" - relating to the very traditional and more "staunch" types of worship - or "uncircumcised" - relating to the more non-traditional styles of worship.  What matters is how we are embracing Christ - what we do with his grace! Grace is not to be trivialized, but to be appreciated, celebrated, and given away time and time again.  In turn, we are worshiping God in an attitude of gratitude!  The connection we make with God's grace and how we connect others to his grace is where the true heart of worship is found.  If we don't handle God's grace well, we really aren't connecting others to Christ and this is what God's intent was in extending grace.

There is nothing more "peace-producing" than to have grace be the middle ground for our living.  It is grace which gets us beyond the differences in style - to the point of not being critical of another's principles of worship.  Relationship is challenging enough without muddying the waters with being critical of another's style of worship.  Remember the key here is what another does with Jesus and his grace - if they have a correct biblical perspective of these key factors, then their worship is between them and God - they have nothing to "prove" to us.  

So, our focus is on being new creatures in Christ Jesus. This newness of life (a life based upon grace) is the true measure of worship. Scripture accurately and simply declares, "For it is by God's grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God's gift, so that no one can boast about it." (Ephesians 2:8-9 GNT) The gospel message is sure and to be trusted. The good news which gives us a foundation of mutual worship is simply: "God puts people right through their faith in Jesus Christ. God does this to all who believe in Christ, because there is no difference at all: everyone has sinned and is far away from God's saving presence. But by the free gift of God's grace all are put right with him through Christ Jesus, who sets them free." (Romans 3:22-24 GNT)  

So, as we begin to focus more on WHO we worship than on HOW we worship we will be asking this question - what are we revealing in our worship about the grace and gift of Jesus?  If we can honestly say our worship aligns with what scripture says about this, then our worship is fine!  Just sayin!

Give a little - get a lot

We all find someone or something to worship, sometimes at the same time!  I don't think we are sometimes very savvy about who or what we worship, we just get carried away in the thrill of the moment and forget about how much attention someone or something actually requires of us.  In essence, we get swept away in our worship, almost without thought as to what is behind our worship.  Mind gets focused, heart is swayed, and time is spent - all without really evaluating the "thing" of our worship.  We may not have graven images we bow before, lighting candles, reciting some mantra of sorts, but we all have a tendency to worship.  Look it up!  Worship is simply adoring reverence or regard.  This reverence or regard can be toward anyone or any "thing" - it makes no matter - when the mind is focused, heart is swayed, and time is spent, we have crossed over into worship.  I think it might just do us some good to consider the characteristics of what God expects of those who worship him.  It might help us to recognize when we are crossing over into some type of worship which is less than what he desires!

But if you don’t want to worship the Lord, then choose right now! Will you worship the same idols your ancestors did? Or since you’re living on land that once belonged to the Amorites, maybe you’ll worship their gods. I won’t. My family and I are going to worship and obey the Lord! (Joshua 24:15 CEV)

Foremost in my mind, the idea of what "qualifies" as entering into an attitude of worship brings me to our first characteristic - that of humility and what some have called a "broken heart".  Lest you think I am saying we can only worship if we have been dumped by someone, left with a broken heart and capable of putting our life into a Country Western song about being dumped, I am not!  Brokenness of heart is simply characterized by a recognition of how much we need the healing touch of Jesus.  It doesn't take being "dumped" to make us recognize this fact - it takes a sensitivity to the depth of our sin!  As we become aware of our sinful condition, we also become aware of how miserable of a job we have done trying to "make good" of our lives!  We cannot make our lives good - we need his healing touch.  Nothing apart from his touch will actually bring the "health" back into our lives which sin has left as damaged and broken places.  To truthfully recognized our need, we need a humbleness of heart - one willing to admit where it is we need his touch.

I think the next characteristic God looks for is where some of us get a little hung up in our approach to God - simply because we don't see ourselves as "holy" people - despite God calling us holy IN CHRIST JESUS.  As long as we have said "yes" to Jesus, live in a continual state of bringing our needs and weaknesses to Christ for his help, and are honoring him with a life committed to his service, we are declared "holy" by God the Father.  In turn, we approach God (not in our own holiness or righteousness) in the righteousness and holiness placed into our lives because of the presence of Jesus within.  God says it takes "holiness" to approach his throne - to come into his "inner courts".  God isn't concerned that we get it right all the time - he is concerned that we recognize where we need to go when we don't!  I think we get a little hung up on not "being right", so we don't feel we can enter into worship. The exact opposite is true - we may not "perform right" all the time, but in Christ Jesus, by means of his grace, we can "stand right" before God.

Most of us equate worship with some sense of deep reverence.  It is the first definition of worship in the dictionary, so I guess we'd be right in one sense.  Yet, these other factors we have considered are also important.  Reverence is just being able to recognize the value of the one we worship - recognized "value" being what we then equate with holding some form of "superior" purpose or place in our lives.  I value my health, but I don't give it a place of "superior" purpose or place in my life - as is evident in the extra pounds I carry and the fact I need to constantly reminded I need more activity since I spend so much time at a desk or behind a computer.  What DOES get this place of "superior" purpose and placement in my life is God himself - not because I "have" to give him this place, but because I want to.  If we have had a genuine encounter with the one true God, we walk away changed - and this change leaves an impact or impression we cannot deny.  In turn, we "elevate" our focus toward the one we have been touched by so deeply.  This is reverence.

So, before we head to church to "worship" together, let's do something together.  Take a deep breath, settle down for just a few moments, and let's do some refocusing of our attention, remembering of just how deeply God has touched our lives, and how awesome of an impression his touch has left within us.  If we do this often enough, we will keep our minds focused on God, our hearts softened to respond to his, and our spirits open to receive (and give) what he most needs from us - our love!  Just sayin!