Tag: Joy

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Worthwhile Worship

Many churches divide their services into at least two parts, praise and worship as one, the other, the sermon. But, is worship just singing hymns and praise choruses? Might it include preparing my heart the night before for corporate worship with repentance and thanksgiving? Does it encompass entering the sanctuary reverently and joyfully? Giving a word of encouragement to the person God has placed next to me in the pew? Lifting songs to the Lord, with the choir, voicing adoration to Him? Anticipating the reading of the Word with respect? Listening eagerly to my pastor, prayed for often during the prior week, proclaim the message, diligently prepared in the power of the Spirit—with sheer wonder that God accomplishes in each individual heart exactly what He intends? Could leaving the sanctuary with sobriety and joy in my heart—and service to my neighbor in my resolve be an act of worship?

Worship is to be a way of life—formally, privately, in the mundane, in the consequential. Rising up, lying down, cleaning baseboards, teaching school, caring for the incapable, writing for blogs. All to God’s glory. It doesn’t come easily or naturally. We are so earthly-minded. We like ourselves so much. Worship is something intentional and must be practiced. It derives from being “in awe” of something or someone, transfixed—and awe transforms or intensifies our desires and dispositions. Awe focused on things or people is misplaced with exaggerated affections leading to improper attitudes or actions. Putting on Christ, seeking to know Him in all His beauty and magnificence, being consumed with Him will benefit every area of our lives as the overflow causes desires to become aligned with His will, thoughts and actions working toward putting Christ on display, appetites whetted for more of God.

How do we do this? By being in His Word, regularly sitting under sound biblical preaching, focusing on Him before His table, fellowshipping with like-minded others. If we neglect the Word we tend to create our own little comfortable rules for worship. If we really love Him, we will desire to know Him and love Him in the way which pleases Him. Scripture is our originating and final authority for whom God is and how acceptable worship looks.

Colossians 1 always lifts my heart to Him. It concerns the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, in pre-eminent splendor. It was written to demolish the false teaching that Jesus is not God nor sufficient for all we need. Paul is a master at concisely telling us who Jesus is.

Following instructions in how to walk in a manner worthy of our calling as Christ-followers—after telling us we can, with steadfast joy in God’s goodness face all the reversals and downturns of life without chafing, teeth-gritting, or grumbling because of His power, not our own—after telling us we have been given to Christ, the Son of the Father’s love (incredible thought)—Paul wants to assure our hearts regarding the authority undergirding these blessings.

Our hearts, already stirred to worship, are now directed to even higher thoughts. Not to the gifts, but to the giver Himself. If any confusion lingers in the recesses of the readers’ minds, the author zeroes in on exactly who this Son of the Father’s love is. Paul demands attention with our reasoning powers, our spiritual eyes, and points us relentlessly to this Son, the one who bought us back from the slave market of our true moral guilt before God, the One who alone is able to forgive our sins because of His death on our behalf, replacing enemy status for friend.

This Son is the exact image, the exact likeness of the Father, His manifestation in a human body. Not an imperfect image as we are. The exact image. He is God Himself, omnipotent and altogether holy.

He, being uncreated, ranks above all in creation—having created all that is visible and invisible, reigning supreme now and forever. Christ set the universe in motion, but has not left it alone, robotic-like to do its thing, but actively holds every atom, every molecule together, preventing explosion and chaos. He controls earthquakes and floods and every beating heart. For as long as He deems, His hand is upon night turning to day and the continually changing seasons in their cycles. He is God the Son and life exists because He holds it all together.

Paul continues his description. As the head and brain rule the body, Christ is head of His body, the church, guiding it, giving its members dynamic power, the same power which raised Jesus, the firstborn from the dead, the first one who was raised never to die again—unlike those other miraculous raisings in Scripture, those resurrected ones always dying again in time and space. And this forever resurrected Christ has brought all His children to Himself in right relationship and will reconcile all things to Himself on a certain day of His own choosing. Then, Jesus will give us who are in His kingdom, the Father’s love gift, back to the Father and we will live together, perfectly worshipping the triune God forever.

Dear sister, meditate on these things. Awe is transformative. Awe of Him enables us to be thankful for that wayward child, recognizing that it is God alone who does the rescuing. It empowers us to praise God in the middle of that turbulent relationship or fearful diagnosis knowing that God is up to something good in my life because He is good.

Some day every knee will bow before His majesty, some willingly out of love and gratitude, others by force, remaining in rebellion. May we be numbered among the true worshippers. Like Peter and John in Acts 4, may we live and breathe in such a way that others will realize we’ve spent time with Jesus as everything we are and do becomes an act of worship of our King, the Son of the Father’s love.

Worshipping Christ with you,

Cherry

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Joy in Dark Times

Dear sister,

One of our homeschool mom’s stood in front of our group with tears in her eyes as she recounted her time spent comforting her friend whose husband was killed in a helicopter crash off the shores of Hawaii. She described how his extra boots stood watch at the door and how the mechanical smell of the uniforms he left behind laced the house. The widow and her four children grieved deeply, asked why loudly, and some became silent as they turned inward sadly. They were used to having him absent for long spells, but contemplating him never coming home tore their hearts.

Two days later, I listened to an Indian women give her testimony of how her husband broke her neck and spine, smashed her head on railroad tracks, and pulled her sari so hard it stripped her naked in the streets. She managed to run away only to face the condemnation from women who told her she should have stayed with her husband. She told of her reoccurring blackouts as a result of years of beatings and how she was threatened by the mafia to stop trying to free their slave labor children or else.

Both women cried out to God saying that He must have made a mistake! How could this God they loved, allow this guttural sorrow and pain to his child and then say He is the comforter of the widow, father to the fatherless, and head lifter of the broken? As they were sharing this part of the story, through their tears something remarkable appeared: A smile. Not one that declared madness or hilarity, but one that revealed the hope they had that the scripture was true and their hope secure in Christ. This God declares that He will bind up the brokenhearted, never leave or forsake His children, is able to catch all the burdens we throw at Him, and wipes all our tears away forever. The widow clings to the knowledge that she will dance with her husband again in heaven while the abused knows vengeance is the Lord’s. Because of this, she now rescues those from the slavery and bondage she knew well.

After hearing the testimony of the widow’s friend, my daughter declared she wanted to watch “Inside Out”. As I saw Joy and Sadness try and help Riley out of her newfound pain, I realized the cartoon explained to me something simple: sometimes we need sadness to bring joy. We do not realize the pain of sorrow often alerts us (and others) of our need for encouragement and help. Our emotional marbles cannot be parsed. They are not simply red, blue, yellow, green, or purple. They are often mixed. These women experienced this in their own lives; the body of Christ came in their deepest need to sit, listen, pray, and be the hope they needed when they had little. And joy came in the morning.

Now what does this all mean for us sisters? Oh sister, there can be joy in the sorrow when our faith is grounded on the foundation of the Word. The Bible’s narrative is true. There is sin in the world and bad things happen because of the curse of Eden. This world will never be perfect again until Christ returns and takes us home (which is our Blessed Hope). Yet, from the beginning, God promised a deliverer and rescuer to come to save those who trust in Him. The Old Testament points to the coming One, the gospels reveal this Messiah, while the Letters tell us how to live in light of what Christ did on the cross. Christ endured the suffering of the cross for the joy of our salvation. He is our example of going through pain with a solid, sturdy, joy of trusting and obeying His Father. He had joy in His suffering.

What about us sisters? What are we grounded in? Will we have joy when sorrow and pain knock us off our feet? Will this deep joy come from our knowledge of the Word and it’s hope of a Savior? The assured hope that we serve a Savior that was abandoned, spat on, hated, and cursed, yet trusted that His Father had Him and would never forsake Him? That He found joy in the trial of even death itself? Like these sweet, broken women, feed yourself on the truth of the Word so when storms rage, you too can break into a confident smile because you are loved, will never be forsaken, and that joy comes in the morning because his mercies are new every morning and His faithfulness is great.  Our hope comes with joy!

Joyfully Yours,

Colleen

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His Example for Our Submission

My dear sisters,

It seems that when I am struggling with a certain issue, the Lord brings someone into my life that asks me how to deal with said issue. Ugh. Now I’m forced to biblically look at my own heart as I seek to give her wise counsel that I struggle to apply in my own life. Well, this month’s said issue is submission. Why do I have to submit to my husband? Why can’t it be a mutual thing? After all, I lived 30 years under my own control and think I did a pretty good job…how am I supposed to give up this control the moment I say “I do”? The pat answer is…because the Bible tells me I need to (Eph. 5:22, 24; Col 3:18). Our desire to rule our own lives happened in the garden when Eve decided to go against the good and perfect authority the Lord gave her and eat the fruit. Ever since then, we women LOVE to be in control and try to rule over our husbands…yet this is not how the Lord designed us. He made both men and women in His own image with indescribable worth. However, he gave each different responsibilities that compliment each other. The man’s responsibility is to work and sacrificially love his wife. The woman is to submit to the authority that God gave her husband.

Submission cannot be a bad thing because we see in scripture that Jesus submitted to the will of His Father by dying on the cross. He gave up His home in heaven, humbly took on human flesh and chose to die on the cross when the Father did not remove that cup of suffering from Him. Do you remember what happens after that? The Father raised His Son from the dead, conquering the curse from Adam, and placed Him at His right side. Jesus was glorified!! I don’t think any of us would say that Jesus was less of a person or God by submitting to the Father. They are the same essence, just as we are the same as our husbands in essence…made in the image of God.

OK, so I know the Bible tells me to submit, but practically, how does that work? What if I know I’m right? What if he doesn’t lead me well? What if I don’t trust him? What if I know what he wants our family to do is the worst option? Well, the main question to ask yourself is…”Is he leading us into sin?” If the answer is no, then sisters, we need to submit…even if we think he is wrong. Honestly, I curl my toes and get heartburn at times, yet I need to submit. That is the Lord’s will for us. Submitting brings glory to God and joy to us. It honors our husbands and makes them desire to lead us better. Nevertheless, it is the most difficult thing for us to do sometimes. We need to ask the spirit to help us. We need to ask ourselves why we are not trusting the Lord with how our husbands lead. When we fail to submit…yet again…we need to confess this before the Lord who submitted perfectly for us. Think about how much it hurts when our children do not submit to our leadership. Our husbands feel this pang on a grander scale as we know better than our children. And remember, our husbands also submit to God’s authority over their lives too.

Sisters, we need the spirit to help us do what we can’t do on our own. Our lack of submission should bring us back to our Savior who paid the price for our sin of disobeying our heavenly Father’s design for us…and you know what? We will have joy, both on earth and ultimately, forever in heaven!

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Grace To The Humble

Dear sister,

Things haven’t changed much since the garden of Eden, have they? Adam and Eve’s desire to have what they deemed the “best” fruit in the garden led to a heredity of sin that can be seen in every person and child. They trusted in their own desires and feelings rather than trusting that what the Lord told them was true and better than that fruit. Instead of humbling themselves and trusting the Lord, they proudly and boldly ate the forbidden fruit.

Man, it is so hard to humble ourselves, isn’t it? We want to be proud parents, proud wives, known for something, anything! We don’t want to be told what to do…or is this just me? I’m really not one to boast vocally, but internally, my heart yearns for recognition from this world. I don’t want to be just a wife of so and so, mother of ______, or from this family. I want to stand out, be accomplished with my hands, skills, sports, or brain. I want to be known for my whit, humor, or craftiness. I can’t be alone…I’ve seen all the proud stickers on cars proclaiming honor rolls and personal advertisements.

Peter scripts in 1 Pet 5:6, that “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble”. When we, like Adam and Eve, desire our fame more than God’s, He opposes us. But when we instead, proclaim His fame over our own, we get grace! But how do I humble myself? Think about how we feel pride…we contrast something against our own standard and when we beat the standard, we feel proud! If the whole class gets a C and I get a C+, I am proud of that C+! If I compare my looks or skills with someone I think isn’t as good as me, I feel proud! So…why not compare myself with God for a good dose of humility?

He spoke. The universe was thrown into existence. He spoke and nature bloomed. He breathed life into the dirt and man stepped forth. He formed you in your mother’s womb. He made each cell move exactly where it was supposed to go. He created the nerve firings in your brain to command your every breath and heart beat. He gave skill to doctors, ideas to men and women to create art and science. He gave you a conscience. He holds the world in His hands! He made a way to fix the sin problem that Adam, Eve, and all of us have by sending Himself into the world to die for our sins! Then…He rose again, conquering death and defeating its fate for all those who put their trust in Jesus. Ummmmm…I can’t do any of that.

Humility is not self-condemnation or defamation; rather it is acknowledging everything we have comes from the Lord. It’s realizing that God deserves our praise, not us. We praise God and give thanks for our every breath, for our skills, whit, and humor He gave us. We praise God for the gifts and people in our lives. We praise and give thanks to God for our families, for the gifts and talents He has given our children and spouses. When we put the Lord in His rightful position, the result is humility in our hearts. But it’s a humility that brings joy, not shame. It brings the grace of the Lord, not His opposition. Wow! I want that! Don’t you?

Grace to you, sister,

Colleen

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Coffee and the Psalms

Dear sister,

Wait…before I start I need to get myself a cup of coffee. I’m a bit of a coffee snob. I need to grind the beans, preferably a dark roast that hasn’t been open for more than a week, then boil water for my French press. I let it steep for a little more than five minutes to get a full body flavor without the bitterness. Then I need a glass or ceramic mug that I can hold with two hands as I shrug my shoulders together to savor the richness. I have to drink it while it’s fresh to be able to enjoy the heat, smell, feel, and taste of each sip. Ahhhhh, that was a good cup. I implore you to go make this aromic, delectable treat for yourself…I’ll wait.

Now, what was I doing? Oh yes, writing about praise. Praise is a proper response to something and/or someone you enjoy. You give credit where credit is due and call others to enjoy it with you. As you can see, I REALLY enjoy a cup of coffee while reading or writing. It’s calming and helps me relax in my task. In fact, I enjoy it so much that I tell others about it and proclaim its glory! I have even worked at Starbucks to learn more about it and upon traveling to Ethiopia, I bought beans that were roasted before my eyes and filled with such flavor I have never forgotten the experience. My husband has even become a coffee snob as a result of the praise I have for coffee. My individual praise of a simple thing of a good cup of coffee has led others to praise and enjoy it too.

I find as a believer though, it is sometimes easier for me to praise the things that are set before me rather than the Creator who made all things. I praise my husband, Annabelle, a good meal, a riveting and clean TV show, or a good book, but I forget to first praise the Creator who is responsible for every good and perfect thing. The Psalms are full of praises to the Lord for military victory, His creation, His salvation, His provision, His Word, and life. The Psalmist often finds his spirit lifted after searching for ways to Praise the Lord. I also find my heart lifted when I praise the Lord in song or in fellowship with other believers. I know He is praiseworthy and giving Him praise fills me with joy, does it do that for you, sweet sister?

Praising our children, husbands, and a good cup of coffee is not bad, but let us not lose sight of who deserves the ultimate praise for giving us these things. Let us, like the psalmist, draw others to praise the Creator who has blessed us with senses, emotions, and a lifetime to enjoy His vast and variable creation. Let us call others to praise and enjoy our Father who adopted us in Christ with full inheritance for eternity! Let us praise and boast of the only Being who truly deserves all our praise! Let’s start now:

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
 The King of creation

O my soul, praise Him 
For He is thy health and salvation

All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near
Praise Him in glad adoration



Praise to the Lord
 Who o’er all things so wonderfully reigneth

Shelters thee under His wings
 Yea, so gladly sustaineth

Hast thou not seen how thy desires e’er have been

Granted in what He ordaineth



Praise to the Lord 
Who doth prosper they work and defend thee

Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee

Ponder anew what the Almighty can do

If with His love He befriend thee



Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him

All that hath life and breath 
Come now with praises before Him

Let the ‘amen’ sound from His people again

Your sister,
Colleen