There’s an article at Thoughts Selected that I think we all need to read: “Fret Not Yourself.”
Author/teacher M. Hernandez begins with “Among our many human weaknesses, one of the most outstanding is fretting or complaining.” Instead of stopping there, she offers a simple, practical way to train our spirits in gratitude and praise to God.
Spiritual exercise, like physical, takes time and persistence. But it brings results.
Monday was my day to post at InScribe Writers Online. If you want to check out Obedience, it carries on the theme of Let Go, Let God (my post last week here).
Blessings today!
…set your heart to honour My name…set your heart to honour Me.
Malachi 2:2, NIV*
The study notes in my Bible say to read Nehemiah 13 to get the background for the prophet Malachi’s rebuke to the priests and the people of Israel. They’d returned from the Babylonian captivity, but they weren’t honouring God. And the people had broken faith: with one another, with their spouses, with God.
Some of the negatives Malachi said to them resonated with me as positive reminders of how to live.
Daily, we need to set our hearts to honour God.
We need to be like the first Levite priests, who “revered Me and stood in awe of My name.” (Malachi 2:5b)
“So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith.” (Malachi 2:16b)
God’s name is His character. If we know Him, we can trust Him. If we say we’re His but don’t live like it, that gives others a poor example of who He is.
Father God, please grow in me a proper reverence for You, a love for You and awe of You. Help me to set my heart to honour You. Help me guard myself in my spirit, that I not break faith with You or with those around me. On my own I can’t do this, but I praise and thank You for Your grace, that the blood of Jesus has saved me and that Your Holy Spirit dwells in me. He can do what I can’t.
Our music for this week is Matt Redman‘s “Heart of Worship.”
*New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
“But as for me, I will look to the Lord and confident in Him I will keep watch; I will wait with hope and expectancy for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.” Micah 7:7 (AMP)*
Micah writes this at a time when people are so corrupt that he says you can’t even trust your own friend or lover. Yet he looks ahead to the day God will forgive his people’s sin and restore them.
Wait for God. Not impatiently, arms folded, toes tapping. Not passively, resigned or wondering if He’ll really show up.
Hope in God. Not wish-hoping, like I hope it’s warm on the weekend. Expectantly anticipating, securely confident in Him. Actively putting our trust in Him, knowing He cannot fail.
Talk to God. Not complaining or blaming, although He understands if that’s how we start. But finish with praise. He doesn’t need to hear how wonderful He is, but we need to remind ourselves. When we’re looking at how big God is, our problems come into a better perspective and we can trust Him to look after us. We can worship.
Worship.
In the waiting.
If you can, take five minutes to listen to “In the Waiting,” by the group FFH.
*Amplified Bible (AMP) Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.“He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8 (New International Version) (NIV)Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
Jeremiah means both men and women, of course. We’re planted, alright, but the busyness of life can leach our focus off of God. Sunday morning worship ….
In North American society, it feels like we go to church for a serving of spiritual teaching but then head back into daily life. Life which, no matter how wonderful, can wear us down. I don’t know about you, but before too long I’m battle-weary and drained. I’d love to spend hours alone with God, or immersed in a Bible study or inspirational book, but the time isn’t there.
Most days, I crawl into wakefulness early so I can have time with God before the world starts its demands. I love my sleep, but it’s a necessary sacrifice. Still, I long for more. I miss the close times with the LORD. My hope with this blog is to share a little encouragement once or twice a week, a spiritual snippet to re-energize us.