The Call to Come

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. Today, if only you would hear his voice,~Psalm 95:6-7

“Come, let us bow down in worship”.  There is a lot to unpack in just that one phrase of the scripture.  Here we see, I see, a call to first come to Him.  We are told in James 4:8a  to come near to God.” We are also told that when we come near to Him, He will come near to us. Coming to God is acknowledging that we need Him and the added bonus of Him coming to us reveals relationship.  The desire of both parties to be in the presence of each h other for fellowship.  He ask us to bring nothing,  just to come and to know that He will meet us.  He crosses the distance for us, that gap, drawing us closer to Him.

Once we come, we are to bow down in worship.  I want to examine the “bowing” first.  Bowing down is a physical act signifying submission.  We are called to bow down before Him in our actions and our attitudes.  We are recognizing His authority and Lordship.  We follow His lead and obey His voice.

We are also called to worship our Great Shepherd.  The One who keeps us under His care. Worship is adoration, reverence, love, and praise.  It is both done in action and in attitude.  I love God and I demonstrate my love for Him when I love others.  I am more apt and able to do that when I am kneeling at His feet, letting the glory of His presence wash over me and flow through me.  

When I come, bow down and worship I can hear His voice because I am still white Him.  Hearing His voice gives me the bread of life (Matthew 6:11).  The word that I need to sustain me for the day.

Lord, may we follow your call to come and worship You for you are worthy.  May we, I, submit to you in all my ways.  May I set at your feet or be held in your arms.  Keep me close to thee.  May I reverence You by making choices that honor You.  We are under your care and we are safe.  Lord, gives us hearts that seek your voice.  In Jesus name. Amen

The Cup and the Saucer: When your cup overflows

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil;
 my cup overflows.~Psalm 23:5
6 
Today I participated in a great activity at work that involved a tea cup.  The tea cups were very precious to the Chief of our Division, yet she made the choice to share them with us so that we would know just how precious each of us are to her and the division to which we all belong (Teaching and Learning).  As we thought about our choice of tea cups and what it might signify about our personalities or thinking, God took my mind to an additional direction. The verse from Psalm 23:5b, “my cup runneth over” stayed at the front of my thinking but with a different bent.

As I looked at the beautiful cup filled with tea, I thought of all the stuff that I am facing.  Like a budget that won’t stretch any further, relationships that needed to be deepened and strengthened, parenting responsibilities, and the list can go on.  I saw that my cup was running over, yet the cup was not alone for there is set perfectly in the center of the saucer.  I saw Jesus in the saucer, catching and handling all the things that might spill over.  I saw Him containing it all so that I would not have too.  I saw His mercy and blessings running over so that all the impure things in the cup could be handled by Him.

You see I didn’t have to be concerned about catching everything because He already has.
My job is to stay in the center of His will, sip on the goodnesses of Him, and trust that He will handle the overflow. So yes, I may be seated in the presence of the enemy: disease, depression, self-doubt, financial concerns or whatever kitchen sink the devil tries to throw.  BUT GOD!  He anoints my head with oil.  He co Ets me.   He protects me.  He is my assurance that goodness and mercy follow me and my confidence that I dwell with Him and not my circumstances.  He is my Shepherd.  ( Psalm 23)

Father,  I thank You for what You reveal to my Spirit.  I thank You for allowing my cup to overflow with your blessings and the protection that brings when troubles rise.  Thank You for being my Help. Bless others who may be facing difficult times.  Help us to trust in You.  In Jesus name. I pray.  Amen

The Race is Not Over

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. ~Acts 20:24

I don’t know about you, but I just love how God works.  I love how he positions you to be in the right place at the right time.  I love how He is able to bring things back to our remembrance.  He is so true to His Word and faithful to His promises. It is He who equips us  and prepares to walk in what He has called us to do (Hebrews 13:21 and Ephesians 2:10).  He always finishes His work ( Philippians 1:6).

So today, as  I was reading Acts 20:24 a chord was struck in me.  “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.with me.”  My soul screamed yes!  That’s what I want my only aim to be and then the gentle  whisper of truth came that called me out.  “Jennifer, you have not completed the task I assigned you. I assigned you the task of bearing witness of me through your blog.  I assigned you the task of ministry and encouragement.”  In other words the race is not over.  My spirit agrees with His that it is time to get back to work.  I have been on a treadmill running in place and now it’s time to move. Move in Him and through Him. 

Amazingly enough, my last entry on May  27, 2019 was on this exact scripture.  Confirmation to me that the only way to finish the race is to actually run it until the end.  Yes, I have battled with disease and depression, but my God is greater.  I have a task to do; a charge to keep and glorifying Him is my only aim.  

You know what?!  It feels so good! Good to be obeying my calling. Good to be able to go to Him with open arms, confess my complacency and receive His forgiveness and mercy.  Good to get my second wind from the One who breathes life into me everyday.  God is good and His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23).  

Father,  I thank You for opportunity to glorify You.  I thank You for the joy that You have breathed into me.  Lord, You have fought and won so many battles for me.  So Father, I just want to do the work and run the race with You as my aim.  I thank You for grace in the midst of all that I have gone through.  You did not discard me or the dreams You placed in me.  Thank You for patience and strength.  May I take all of these blessings and use them for Your glory.  In Jesus name. Amen