My people come to you as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. (Ezek 33:31)
Ezekiel had quite a following among the Jewish exiles in Babylon. He was evidently well known, and could draw a crowd whenever he had a word from the Lord. You can even imagine that they lined up to shake his hand at the door. “Good sermon today, brother.” “Great word! You are so anointed!” “Thank you, pastor. I needed to hear that.” Fine words, but then they stepped out into the rest of their week and their lives were no different than the week before. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? We faithfully show up for church, we say the right things, but God knows our hearts. And, too often, what is in our hearts does not reflect the image we like to project on Sunday. Lord, when I come to worship you in church may I truly be broken before you. Convict me of the gap between my words and my deeds. May I drink your word deep into my soul and be restored by it. May I focus less on the outward activity of Sunday morning and be sensitive to the inner work you desire to do in me. Then may my heart be truly yours. Amen.
Showing posts with label worship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label worship. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Older and Wiser
And Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. (Gen 47:31b)
What a great image! That’s the kind of old man I want to be! Jacob was 147 years old at this time. I picture a wizened old man with a deeply lined face. He is hunched over his staff, his robe drawn close around him. His eyes are weak, but wisdom is reflected there. He has suffered many hardships and done many foolish things, but God has been faithful and has blessed him. Jacob wrestled with God in his youth, but in his old age he worships. With the wisdom of old age he knows well both the sovereignty and the benevolence of God. Lord, you are worthy of worship! You are the great and mighty King, the Ruler of all that is. You created us and sustain us. You know every hair on our heads and yet you love us. Praise you, Lord. Glory to you, Almighty God.
I think a lot us are like Jacob. When I was young, I wrestled with God. I challenged him and argued with him. I demanded that he explain himself to me. And I insisted that I would only come to him on my terms. Like Jacob, I found out that approach doesn’t work too well. When we wrestle with God we are out of our weight class! But we were young and stubborn and we had to find out the hard way. Finally we figured out that the only right way to approach God is in humble submission, with a worshipful heart. Now we spend the rest of our lives practicing to learn how to do that. After 147 years Jacob had it down pretty well. I only hope I can get there, too – a little quicker if possible!
A God who can be encompassed by human thought is no God at all.
What a great image! That’s the kind of old man I want to be! Jacob was 147 years old at this time. I picture a wizened old man with a deeply lined face. He is hunched over his staff, his robe drawn close around him. His eyes are weak, but wisdom is reflected there. He has suffered many hardships and done many foolish things, but God has been faithful and has blessed him. Jacob wrestled with God in his youth, but in his old age he worships. With the wisdom of old age he knows well both the sovereignty and the benevolence of God. Lord, you are worthy of worship! You are the great and mighty King, the Ruler of all that is. You created us and sustain us. You know every hair on our heads and yet you love us. Praise you, Lord. Glory to you, Almighty God.
I think a lot us are like Jacob. When I was young, I wrestled with God. I challenged him and argued with him. I demanded that he explain himself to me. And I insisted that I would only come to him on my terms. Like Jacob, I found out that approach doesn’t work too well. When we wrestle with God we are out of our weight class! But we were young and stubborn and we had to find out the hard way. Finally we figured out that the only right way to approach God is in humble submission, with a worshipful heart. Now we spend the rest of our lives practicing to learn how to do that. After 147 years Jacob had it down pretty well. I only hope I can get there, too – a little quicker if possible!
A God who can be encompassed by human thought is no God at all.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Falling at His Feet
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. (Rev 1:17)
We are far too protective of our own dignity and our old bones to ever fall down in worship these days. Yet there is something to be said for adopting a physical posture of complete humility as an expression of our reverence for the awesome power and majesty of God. John by this time had lived a very long and very hard life. His knees were no doubt far creakier than mine, and his bones more fragile. Yet he “fell at his feet as though dead.” Lord, please give us a glimpse of your power and majesty. May we humble ourselves before you. May we for once lay aside our inflated sense of our own dignity and importance, and so reveal by our actions a truer understanding of how very much greater you are.
We are far too protective of our own dignity and our old bones to ever fall down in worship these days. Yet there is something to be said for adopting a physical posture of complete humility as an expression of our reverence for the awesome power and majesty of God. John by this time had lived a very long and very hard life. His knees were no doubt far creakier than mine, and his bones more fragile. Yet he “fell at his feet as though dead.” Lord, please give us a glimpse of your power and majesty. May we humble ourselves before you. May we for once lay aside our inflated sense of our own dignity and importance, and so reveal by our actions a truer understanding of how very much greater you are.
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