How do you Worship God?

Psalm 19:1-4

The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.

I was actually looking up another verse to write about this morning when I saw this.  It hit me and I have no clue why but I decided to use this verse instead. 

What a mighty God we serve!  When you look at the world around us, remove the people for just a minute and truly look at the beauty of the earth, you can see how it was really meant to be.  David wrote this Psalm and if you stop and think about it, we can see how everything that surrounds us is worshipping God. 

Worshiping God does not require speech or words.  No sound is needed at all.  We can worship God in our thoughts, prayers, how we choose to live our lives.  And those are just silent ways that come to mind for me.

Today I want to encourage you to think about how you worship our Lord.  Are there subtle ways that you could worship him more?  Share with the group ways that you enjoy worshiping God, silent or out loud.

Thursday Devotional - Hearing Only?

I often ask the kids “what did I say?!” Sometimes I ask it in response to them asking the same question they’ve just asked, hoping for a different answer! Other times, I ask it when I catch them not picking up after I asked them to pick up their toys. In either scenario, my kids heard and knew what I said but didn’t listen and obey.

Similarly, I can hear, read and know God’s Word, but what difference will it make in my life unless I apply and obey it?

Romans 2:13-16     ¹³ For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. ¹⁴ (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵ They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) ¹⁶ This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

Whether you plan to read the whole Bible in a year this year or have some other Bible study plan, end your time with at least one application question for yourself. I often write out my application question in a journal and then write out the answer. Sometimes I have to think about it and answer it the next day (or later).

James 1:22 & 25 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says… But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do.

Alice

Washed Away

“Then he told me, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak.  For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard. What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.’  Acts 22:14-16 

The new year is filled with resolutions that we plan to do differently.  The sermon I heard this weekend talked about such things as well as preparing for your future.  Reflecting on this, I heard my inner voice saying, “What about your past?”  There was a lot of good in my past, but there was also the times where I was most distant from God.  These were when I felt unworthy and ashamed of myself.  That was where I was when I came to God; hopeless and humbled hoping to do some good.  Then, I remembered getting in the water to be baptized.  Apparently, the water was cold enough that I was vocalizing it, and my pastor at the time looked at me and jokingly said, “Man up.”  As I rose up from the waters, my mother, who watching in the audience, said I raised my arms in victory.  The moment signified my decision to follow Christ and that I was clean from sin.  Forever.  This is what I carry with me into the new year. 

We should remember that through all our moments both good and bad, we are all made clean through Jesus Christ.  I love this testimony by Paul speaking of his experience coming to follow Christ.  We read in the early part of Acts when on the road to Damascus, Jesus spoke to Paul asking why was he persecuting Him, and how Paul met Ananias, who helped Paul regain his sight.  Now, Paul gives his testimony detailing how Ananias told how his sins would be washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.  We thus learn that no matter what we have done or where we have come from, we are free from sin's bondage through Jesus Christ.  Like the calendar points out the change to a new year, we too are changed, and our sins are washed away if we call out to Him.  This makes us new, and we must both put those things that drag us down away and move toward the future with our eyes fixed on the one who is pure, blameless, and the perfecter of our faith. 

Through Christ, we have endless possibilities.  We have been blessed by God's gift of grace.  Our goal thus is to seek Him at all times humbly asking Him, “Oh Lord.  Open my eyes to those things you want me to see, and let my heart ache for those things that break your heart.  Help me to do your will and find joy in each and every moment I am with you.”  As we start a new year, let us remember the new beginning we have been given.  What do you need God to release you from today?  What will you do with your new found freedom through Jesus Christ?  My prayer is that we remember that our past sins have through Jesus Christ been washed away.  Amen. 

Tues Devo: 2018 Reliance

Hello,

While not a big person for resolutions, I am big on goals. I wanted to share with you about one of my goals for this year. This year, each day I will be praying for something – something that is completely out of my control. It is specific, and will be able to be identified when it happens…but when it happens, it will be God’s hand behind it all. It is also fully in line with what Scripture says God desires.  (No, I am not telling exactly what it is).

You see, last year I feel like I fell into the trap of trying to muscle myself into things – not truly depending on God. This year, I want to ensure I am continually putting myself in a position of dependency, and trusting the size that is truly God.

Paul ends the third chapter of Ephesians (v20-21) with a stark reminder that God is well able to handle God-sized things: “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” (NASB)

Will you join me this year? Is there something fully in line with the Biblical desires of God that you cannot control, but will commit to pray for each day through this year?

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill