Ps. 99:2,3,5,9 "The Lord is great in Zion and He is high above all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awesome Name - He is holy...Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool -He is holy...Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His holy hill, for the Lord our God is holy."
No clue. I have no clue. We have no clue. We are a bunch of dumb sheep. If we had any clue of what God is like, we would all fall on our faces...but we don't, because we have no clue. He is great, he is high above the peoples (us), He is awesome, full of awe, to be feared and revered, and He is holy, He is holy, He is holy. Kind of like in Revelation where the four living creatures cry out "Holy, holy, holy Lord God almighty, who was and is and is to come." Rev. 4:8
The four living creatures get it but we don't...but wait, just wait. When Jesus is revealed to this world then every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Someday we will all get it, someday we will all have a clue - every one of us and our response will be appropriate.
But what about now? What about those of us who claim to have an inkling. We should be living differently. We should be responding appropriately. We should be worshipping fully. We should be praising. We should be exalting.
I have to ask myself: "Is my worhsip only something that I do in public? Shouldn't my worship be full throttle when I am alone? Just me and God. I mean, who is looking then? Where is my heart? Do I really believe this stuff that I teach about , that I sing about? Why am I so restrained?" Because I really have no clue. God let me grow in my knowledge of you so that my private and public worship...so that my life is what you want to see. Not a show, not going through the motions, but genuine, heartfelt, authentic worship - because I am seeing You more and more.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Heart and Hands
Ps. 78:72 "So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands."
This is a description of David's leadership style...how he did it. There are a few elements that are key: shepherding and guiding, integrity and skillfulness, heart and hands.
The shepherd is to feed. The word for shepherd is actually used 75 times in relation to feeding, 63 times in relation to shepherding and 8 times in relation to pastoring. This is something a leader does. He feeds those under his care. But the feeding is based upon his character. It is based upon integrity. It is based upon innocence, uprightness, simplicity and the fulness of his life. What he feeds is what he is, what he lives, what he is like in his inner man. It comes from within...the heart.
Frankly, it is easy to prepare a meal and throw it in front of people...it can be anything. But to truly feed hungry people, to truly shepherd, one must dig from a pure, innocent, unblemished heart. If the heart is not pure, the food will be rotten. Unfortunately, there are hypocrites in positions in leadership. There are fakes who pastor. There are guys just going through the motions just to collect a paycheck or to obtain or retain their power. This is not how David lead. It is not how we should lead.
But then look, he guided his people. He brought them along with skillfulness, with intelligence, with understanding, with knowledge, with insight. He was not lazy. He had a pure heart and he used his hands, his body, to work hard, to prepare well, to research, to think, to mold what he did to the needs of his people because he knew who they were and he had insight into what needed to be done.
I wonder how hard I work at preparation? Do I want things to come easily? Do I research and think and prepare with skill? Do I consider my audience and get ready with them in mind, or do I throw in front of them leftovers from something I made before? No way...this must not be done. We have to lead others with the integrity of our hearts and guide them with the skillfulness of our hands. Purity of heart before God and hard work. There is no substitute for effective leadership.
This is a description of David's leadership style...how he did it. There are a few elements that are key: shepherding and guiding, integrity and skillfulness, heart and hands.
The shepherd is to feed. The word for shepherd is actually used 75 times in relation to feeding, 63 times in relation to shepherding and 8 times in relation to pastoring. This is something a leader does. He feeds those under his care. But the feeding is based upon his character. It is based upon integrity. It is based upon innocence, uprightness, simplicity and the fulness of his life. What he feeds is what he is, what he lives, what he is like in his inner man. It comes from within...the heart.
Frankly, it is easy to prepare a meal and throw it in front of people...it can be anything. But to truly feed hungry people, to truly shepherd, one must dig from a pure, innocent, unblemished heart. If the heart is not pure, the food will be rotten. Unfortunately, there are hypocrites in positions in leadership. There are fakes who pastor. There are guys just going through the motions just to collect a paycheck or to obtain or retain their power. This is not how David lead. It is not how we should lead.
But then look, he guided his people. He brought them along with skillfulness, with intelligence, with understanding, with knowledge, with insight. He was not lazy. He had a pure heart and he used his hands, his body, to work hard, to prepare well, to research, to think, to mold what he did to the needs of his people because he knew who they were and he had insight into what needed to be done.
I wonder how hard I work at preparation? Do I want things to come easily? Do I research and think and prepare with skill? Do I consider my audience and get ready with them in mind, or do I throw in front of them leftovers from something I made before? No way...this must not be done. We have to lead others with the integrity of our hearts and guide them with the skillfulness of our hands. Purity of heart before God and hard work. There is no substitute for effective leadership.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Early
Ps. 63:1 "O God, You are my God. Early will I seek You, my soul thirsts for You, my flesh longs for You, in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water."
This is a statement made by David that confirms his object of worship, his focus in life, his primary relationship. "O God, You are my God." What a statement! "O God", the One true God, the only God, You (personally) are My (personal) God. "I am His and He is mine." The God of all, the great I AM, the Creator of all things seen and unseen. (Did you ever think about this - God created the angels too. The Bible does not talk about how or when He did it, but He did.) The God of the earth and the heaven(s). The God of atoms and molecules. The God of biology, chemistry and physics. You are my God. Wow. I really can't grasp this truth, but this God wants to be my God, my object of worship, my focus in life, my primary relationship.
How did David cultivate that relationship? "Early will I seek You." Early, at the first opportune moment, first thing, I will diligently look for You and wait to hear from You. David was so thirsty for God, his body was in such need for God he could feel it. He had to seek Him early. David said: "You are the anchor for my life. You are the director of all that I have to do. I need you, so early, first thing I do, I will look for You and find You. "
What about me? Will I look for God early in His word? Will I seek Him early in prayer? If I am thirsty I will.
You know, I have always told people to give God the best part of their day. I have to retract that. Go to God in the first part of your day.
My friend Dave has a practice. He will not drink any water until he has prayed. He will not eat any food until he has spent time in the word. That is thirst. That is hunger. That is the way it should be. Early.
This is a statement made by David that confirms his object of worship, his focus in life, his primary relationship. "O God, You are my God." What a statement! "O God", the One true God, the only God, You (personally) are My (personal) God. "I am His and He is mine." The God of all, the great I AM, the Creator of all things seen and unseen. (Did you ever think about this - God created the angels too. The Bible does not talk about how or when He did it, but He did.) The God of the earth and the heaven(s). The God of atoms and molecules. The God of biology, chemistry and physics. You are my God. Wow. I really can't grasp this truth, but this God wants to be my God, my object of worship, my focus in life, my primary relationship.
How did David cultivate that relationship? "Early will I seek You." Early, at the first opportune moment, first thing, I will diligently look for You and wait to hear from You. David was so thirsty for God, his body was in such need for God he could feel it. He had to seek Him early. David said: "You are the anchor for my life. You are the director of all that I have to do. I need you, so early, first thing I do, I will look for You and find You. "
What about me? Will I look for God early in His word? Will I seek Him early in prayer? If I am thirsty I will.
You know, I have always told people to give God the best part of their day. I have to retract that. Go to God in the first part of your day.
My friend Dave has a practice. He will not drink any water until he has prayed. He will not eat any food until he has spent time in the word. That is thirst. That is hunger. That is the way it should be. Early.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)