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When we’re not, He is.

September 28, 2010 by Joey Hughes Leave a Comment

I was scheduled to share a worship time this morning with our interns here at The Cathedral and, I must say, I was not prepared.

Last night, I had some things happen that really made me angry and I had not handled it well. I woke up this morning and was still dealing with it (is it ok if I admit that I’m not always holy?). I thought to myself, “I am in no place to share with these young people about being intimate with God in worship!”

As I got myself ready for work and made a somewhat feeble attempt to prepare for the task I was about to take on, Kari Jobe’s song; “You Are for Me,” began to play over and over  in my mind and heart. I don’t normally listen to Kari, but this song was really heavy in my spirit. I thought “What is the deal, here?” I could not get it to stop! Then it hit me… here are the lyrics:

So faithful. So constant. So loving and so true. So powerful in all You do.
You fill me. You see me. You know my ev’ry move. You love for me to sing to You.

I know that You are for me. I know that You are for me
I know that You will never forsake me in my weakness.
And I know that You have come now, even if to write upon my heart to remind me who you are.

So patient. So gracious. So merciful and true. So wonderful in all You do.
You fill me. You see me. You know my ev’ry move. And You love for me to sing to you Lord.

God was saying to me “Even when you’re not faithful, I am. Even when you haven’t been consistent, I am.”

Jesus told the woman at the well “The time is coming, and now is, when those who worship me will worship me in spirit and in truth.”

My worship is not dependent on how I have performed or whether I have performed to what I think are God’s expectations of me. My worship is not dependent upon who I am. My worship is not dependent upon what I need for God to do in my life.

If I worship God in spirit and in truth, then I come to Him acknowledging that:

  1. He knows everything about me and still chooses… no, LONGS to commune and have fellowship with me.
  2. When He looks at me, He sees me as a completed work in Christ, therefore I cannot disappoint Him or perform below His expectations of me.
  3. When I come to Him in worship I already have everything I need in Christ. All of my healing is provided. All of the provision to accomplish my purpose is already done. Therefore I worship from a well of satisfaction that He has and is everything I need.

In those times when you feel you have “messed up” too badly, or have not been good enough to come into God’s presence in real worship, remember, in the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve had eaten the forbidden fruit, realized they were naked, and covered themselves… but God still came, just like He always had, to walk with them in the cool of the day. He knew their sin… but still came.

He knows you… but still comes saying “I’m here. I am for you. I love you.”

“Father help me today to understand that my worship is not dependent on anything I can do or have done, but it is solely dependent on who You are and what You have done. You have purchased my healing. You have called me Your son. You have promised not to leave me nor forsake me. You have assured me that at the time when I find myself weak, Your strength will be proven perfect. Thank You for revealing yourself to me and helping me to understand the depth of Your love for me. AMEN.”

Filed Under: Christianity 101, Leadership 101, Worship 101 Tagged With: Better Life, character, Christian, encouragement, freedom, Hope, Leadership, Praise and Worship

“Search Me, Oh God…”

September 13, 2010 by Joey Hughes Leave a Comment

In my study time today, I was reading Psalm139 and there were some things that really jumped off the page and spoke to my heart. I thought I would take a minute and share with you. Maybe you’ll get something out of it as I did.

We all know well and can quote verse 23 and 24 which read “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

I’d like for you to take a moment and read the first 22 verses of this chapter.

Do you see it? Can you hear what the Spirit of God is saying here?

All through this chapter, David acknowledges that there is nothing in his life that is hidden from God (V1-2). There is nothing he can think, do, or say that God has not already seen (V3-4).There is nowhere he can go where God will not be (V7-12). He even acknowledges that there is no part of his physical being that God does not know or did not have planned (V13-16). Then in verse 23 he says “Search me, O God…” When I read this today, I sat back in my chair and thought “Knowing that God knows everything, why did he say that?”

We find what I think is the answer in verses 19 through 22: “Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men. For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain. Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.” Right in the middle of all of this praise to God and acknowledgment of his power, majesty, and goodness, Davids thoughts turn toward his circumstances. He begins to speak to God about his enemies and how they are “wicked and bloodthirsty.”

Davids enemies interrupted his praise!

Has this ever happened to you? Right in the middle of a worship service or your personal worship time your thoughts seem to wander towards some bill you have not been able pay? Or maybe your thoughts turn toward some broken relationship that you have not been able to mend; or toward some addiction you have not been able to get victory over?

David realized this was not how this time of worship should have progressed and his tune changed to an inward focus; “Search me, O God and know my heart. Try me and help me to understand why I have these anxious thoughts that take my attention away from you and how good you are…”

I encourage you today to allow God to search YOUR heart and bring HIS revelation to those areas of your life which have the ability to steal your focus away from how much He loves you and how much He truly cares for you.

DON’T LET YOUR ENEMIES INTERRUPT YOUR PRAISE!!!

Filed Under: Worship 101 Tagged With: encouragement, Praise and Worship, psalms 139, search me oh god

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