Seeking God through Worship..Craig Denison Ministries;

 Seeking God through Worship

Craig Denison Ministries;

Weekly Overview:

Learning to seek the face of God is the foundation for experiencing the amazing life Jesus died to give us. We have available to us through Christ all the wonders, excellencies, and satisfaction we can fathom. God has granted us grace upon grace, mercy upon mercy, affection upon affection, and love upon love. When we pursue him through all the avenues available to us, a door is opened in which we discover all our heavenly Father longs to give us. May you grow in your pursuit of God this week as we study various ways we’ve been given to seek his face.

Scripture:“Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool!” - Psalm 132:7

Devotional:

Worship through song is one of the most powerful ways to connect directly to the love, compassion, power, and grace of God. In worship, walls we’ve placed between God and us get torn down, just as God tore the veil at the death of Christ. In worship, our hearts become soft, aware, and open to the glorious majesties of God’s nearness. In worship, God makes his nearness known to us and fills us anew with the power of his manifest presence.

The Psalms are filled with exhortations to worship. Psalm 95:1-3 says, “Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.” We are created to worship our Creator. When we give glory to God, we place him on the throne of our hearts and posture ourselves in the only position in which we will find peace: one of submission and humility. In the act of worship, we lay down everything we’ve allowed to matter more than God’s perfect will for us and receive the grace to love him above all else.

Psalm 132:7 says,“Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool!” When we worship, we enter into direct contact with our all-powerful, all-loving, all-knowing heavenly Father. God’s desire in worship is to draw us near to himself, fill us to overflow with his love, and wait patiently for us to love him in return. The more often we receive his love through worship, the more consistently we will love and honor him in all we do. I fear that many Christians engage in worship because they feel they should or are allotted a time in church to do so, but all the while never really desire to worship God. God is not a prideful King who demands inauthentic praise from his people. He is in no way insecure or needy. He is simply after true communion with you where he loves you and you love him in return. And he will keep loving you, speaking to you, and reminding you of his desire for you until you open your heart and realize that loving him is the most satisfying, fulfilling, and purposeful way to live.

My favorite way to engage in worship, either in my personal devotional time or in a corporate gathering, is to begin by opening my heart and asking the Holy Spirit to help me receive God’s affection for me. 1 John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.” I forget too easily how deeply God loves me. As I go throughout my week, the cares of the world seem to creep in and rob me of a full understanding of the depths of God’s love. So, I continually need reminders of his love that I may live my life in response to him rather than singing just because I should. Before you engage in worship, take a minute or two to reflect on God’s love. Read a Psalm or a part of the gospel that will remind you of how much God loves you. Ask God to speak to you and pour his love out on you. It isn’t selfish to ask God to love you. He knows that we are in desperate need of his love, and he fully understands that we cannot love him without receiving his love first.

Richard J. Foster says it this way in his book, Celebration of Discipline:           

Worship is our response to the overtures of love from the heart of the Father. Its central reality is found “in Spirit and in Truth.” It is kindled within us only when then the Spirit of God touches our human Spirit. Forms and rituals do not produce worship, nor does the formal disuse of forms and rituals. We can use all the right techniques and methods, we can have the best possible liturgy but we have not worshiped the Lord until Spirit touches Spirit. Singing, praying, praising, all may lead to worship, but worship is more than any of them. Our Spirit must be ignited by divine fire.

Whether or not you have encountered the miracle of God’s presence in worship up to this day, God wants to draw you into a fresh and needed experience of his nearness right now. He wants to pour out his love on every dry and weary place of your heart. Take time in prayer to receive his love, allow his Spirit to touch your spirit, and respond to him with adoration.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the depths of God’s love for you.

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” - Romans 5:8

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 8:37-39

“Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.” Psalm 36:5

2. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you into a direct encounter with God. Open your heart to the Holy Spirit and allow him to fill you with a knowledge of God’s love and nearness. Wait on him and allow his Spirit to touch your spirit.

3. Respond to God’s love with your own. Thank him for what he has done for you. Go through all the good things in your life, and give him adoration for them! Love him in whatever way you desire. If you’re unsure of what to do, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with a specific way to love God.

Richard Foster also wrote, "As worship begins in holy expectancy, it ends in holy obedience. Holy obedience saves worship from becoming an opiate, an escape from the pressing needs of modern life." Live today following the guidance of God’s Spirit and his word. Respond to his love with your own loving obedience. May you discover the wealth of abundant life available to you through receiving God’s love and loving him in return through the gift of worship.

Extended Reading: 1 Corinthians 13

Leaving a Lasting Impact..Dr. Charles Stanley

 Leaving a Lasting Impact

Dr. Charles Stanley

Matthew 5:13-16

On this Independence Day, consider the question, How do you use the gift of freedom? God gives all believers true liberty through His Son Jesus Christ. Do you squander that blessing or share it with others? The problem is, some people are so focused on their own needs and desires that they fail to impact even their closest neighbor.

Think about the people you see every week. Do you know how many of your neighbors are sick? Are there people in your church who struggle to make it from day to day? Do you know if any of your coworkers are going through hardships? Most likely, there are individuals all around you who could use assistance. But being self-focused limits our ability to notice those people, let alone reach out to them.

Jesus taught His disciples, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men” (Matt. 5:13). In order for salt to remain useful, it must maintain its purity and potency. Likewise, we must endeavor to lead holy, humble, and loving lives, focusing on the Savior’s will rather than our own.

God has prepared the good works that we are to walk in (Eph. 2:10). Our job is to choose to do so.

Whether or not we affect our world positively depends on the focus of our heart. Do you look inward to consider how you can do more to get ahead and add to your lot in life? Or do you look outward and think about ways that you can do more to serve others?

5 Lessons We Can Learn from the Israelites’ Wandering Years..Debbie McDaniel

 5 Lessons We Can Learn from the Israelites’ Wandering Years

By Debbie McDaniel

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: “Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. He said, ‘For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord…” Exodus 17:15-16

In the book of Exodus, we read the story of how God’s people had endured years of bondage under the Egyptians. They were oppressed, abused, mistreated people. They needed rescue, they needed a way of escape. God saw their need, he didn’t miss a thing, and in his perfect timing, he acted on their behalf.

The people of Israel spent 40 years in the desert. 40 years of wandering. 40 years of journeying towards the Promised Land that God had given them. That’s a very long time. The days must have been intense, hot, dry, I'm sure they got weary. But God met them where they were, he made sure they had what they needed. They learned through every hard and grueling step, how much they had to rely on Him.

Here are 5 Things We Can Learn from the Israelites’ Wandering Years in the Desert:

1. The way to our promised land is not always easy, in fact, it rarely is. But it’s worth it.

God had promised his people a land that would be full of blessing. But the way there would stretch their faith and lead them through journeys where they’d have to depend on God like nothing before.

Maybe you feel like the blessing is too long in coming, maybe you feel like giving up. Be assured again today that God is faithful and he will use all things to strengthen our faith and bring goodness to his people. Stay strong, keep pressing through.

2. God will make a way where there doesn’t seem to be a way.

As the Israelites got closer that sea must have looked bigger and deeper. Their eyes focused on the problem. They forgot about the bigness of their God. But God didn’t forget about them.

Even if the way He’s leading doesn’t seem to make much sense and His timing seems off, or the wait feels long, and wandering in desert places is the last thing we want to do, we can trust Him. Always. He knows our way. He sees the big picture. He has good in store.

3. God will lead us day and night.

“By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to given them light…” Exodus 13:21

God never left his people alone in their journey. His presence was always there, a reminder to them that they hadn’t been left on their own in the wilderness.

God will not leave us to fend for ourselves, struggling to find our way. He will lead us. He promises to be faithful. We may not see him in a pillar of cloud or fire these days, but we have his Word, and the Holy Spirit to give guidance to our days.

4. God fights on behalf of his people

“Then the angel of God…withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them…” Exodus 14:19

He gives us victory and power even when it doesn’t make sense. After a battle against the fierce Amalekites, when God gave his people a great victory, the Bible says, “Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. He said, ‘For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord…” Exodus 17:15-16

We’re never left to wrestle through on our own in hard places. He doesn’t send us out to fight the enemy in our own strength. He just tells us to be still, to stand strong, and to know he’s fighting on our behalf.

5. God provides in miraculous ways

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will rain down bread from heaven for you…” Exodus 16:4

They were hungry. God sent manna. They were thirsty. God sent water gushing from a rock. Every day a miracle was right before their eyes. They just had to pick up the manna, drink the water, accept the blessing.

And just like the people of Israel had to look to God to meet their needs, so it is with us. They couldn't store it up, they had to look for it daily. And God always provided.

Sometimes we miss the miracles of his provision, out of busyness or stress. We try to get things going too fast all on our own, spinning around, trying to get it all done. Or other times we might start to forget what matters most.

But even for those days, there's His grace. He waits for us. His provision and blessing, they never run dry. Every day, his miracles lie right before our eyes. We just have to choose to look for them and stay close in his presence.

A Prayer to Remember Who We Belong To..Meg Bucher

 A Prayer to Remember Who We Belong To

By Meg Bucher

"And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life." Philippians 4:3 NLT

The story of our family table began in the scratch and dent clearance section, tucked away on the third floor of the old downtown furniture store in a dusty corner amongst other rejected pieces. "But it's missing a piece," the salesperson explained. The missing piece was so obscure I felt extremely victorious as my husband and I left with said table for a quarter of the cost of a new one. It came with two bench seats and drawers, which would, in time, collect toys, cards, and all sorts of random treasures. Fifteen years later, our table has been the centerpiece of our story—game nights, Bible studies, meetings, birthday parties …family dinners, and crafting sessions. The surface is now so worn it's become difficult to clean. Though I'd love to give it new life and have it refurbished, I cherish every nail polish and paint stain. There's been a lot of life lived around that old table. 

God saw us in the proverbial back corner of the third floor amongst all the other people the world neglects and rejects, lovingly calling us His own. Adopted into the family of God, we get to do life on earth for His glory. Rescued, redeemed, and given a purpose, He cherishes us. He can remember the days of our lives with much more prominence than I can recall the memories around my family table. In the verse above, Paul recognizes faithful saints who spread the gospel's good news with the days of their lives. He presents them as an example of how to live in pursuit of Christ. "Paul calls for reconciliation, joyful faith, and disciplined thinking," the ESV Global Study Bible notes, "the book of life refers to God's record of those who belong to him." It's the everyday moments of our lives that mean the most. The times we could have changed the subject but chose to talk about Jesus. The people we invited, even though others wouldn't welcome them. The celebrations, laughter, and love are written on the pages of our days. Those are things God cares about—the roots of His love propel the action of our lives. And when our Savior is the center of our universe, our names are written in the Book of Life. The Apostle John recorded:

"All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine." Revelation 3:5 NLT

Eyes fixed on Jesus, we can anticipate the end of suffering in this life and embrace the hope of eternity. Fixed on Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith, He protects us from distraction and derailment. We live with the pains of this world daily, but that doesn't have the power to steal the joy and hope we have in Christ. 

Let’s pray:

Father, 
I love how our family table is placed in the center of our lives. Though I walk by it daily, I often fail to notice all the dirt it accumulates until I pause to clean it. Let our lives be centered around You, God. We want the days of our lives to be littered with the love of Jesus we have walked out on this earth. Thank you for seeing us for who we are and guiding us faithfully through this life. 

God, You proclaim authority over all creation, including us, determining who belongs to You. Sometimes, we are too concerned over the faithfulness of those around us. Our responsibility as Christians is to follow Jesus wholeheartedly and love those around us obediently, leaving judgment in the hands of God. Help us to embrace and cherish the memories we accumulate in this life and let them all be rooted in Your great love. Thank You for writing our names in the Book of Life. You are the center of our universe, God. Our joy comes from obediently living out and telling others the Gospel truth—the truth we are loved, rescued, and redeemed in Christ Jesus.

Keep our eyes fixed on You.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.