I want to eat a healthy diet, and goodness knows I've tried,
But broiled foods just can't compare to those that are deep fried!
And how about eating oatmeal rather than bacon, eggs, and toast?
It's not hard for me to know which one I like the most.
I don't always eat the foods and way I know I should,
Revelation 5:12, "In heaven the angels and the living creatures and the twenty-four elders sing this song, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"
What is worship? How could we define it? Worship is adoration, reverence, regarding someone with the utmost love and with a deep respect tinged with awe. Worship and praise are different from thanksgiving. We are thankful to God for His gifts to us, but we worship and praise Him, not for His gifts, but for Who He is--for His attributes and characteristics. We worship God because He is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, Creator, Redeemer, holy, righteous, truthful, just, full of grace and goodness, loving, forgiving, merciful, kind. We worship Him because, as great and glorious and magnificent as He is, amazingly He loves us.
Worship will be the primary activity in heaven. Revelation 5:13, "Then every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them will sing, 'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever!'" Is our God worthy of our worship? Indeed!!!!!!
Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, I worship and praise and adore You. I honor You for Your greatness and Your goodness and Your love. Amen.
I must admit I really do hate to wait. It seems like such a waste of time. Think of all we could accomplish with the time we spend waiting. We live in a fast paced, instant gratification world with information overload. We are surrounded by noise and activity. I think our world makes waiting more difficult for most of us.
Have you ever wanted to tell people to hurry up and move along or give them a little push? Have you ever been tempted to tell God to hurry up, to get a move on, that time's a'wasting? I don't notice that He ever seems to get in a rush. Pastor Ron Dunn said, "God is never late, but He certainly misses a lot of good opportunities to be early."
If we want to be successful, we must do the right thing in the right way AT THE RIGHT TIME. And the right time is always God's time. Psalm 27:14 exhorts us, "WAIT FOR THE LORD; be strong and take heart and WAIT FOR THE LORD."
Father, may I exercise patience and wait for Your timing in my life. May I not get in a hurry and try to run ahead and do things in my own strength. May I stay right in step with You. Amen.
Wait in line at the grocery store.
At red lights I must wait some more.
Car pool lines are just a bore.
For appointments I wait at the door.
I wonder when I reach the pearly gate
My glasses weren't really lost. They were just temporarily misplaced.
But the fact that they were missing was a fact that had to be faced.
I decided someone had moved them and said so with a frown
Until my glasses reappeared in the spot where I'd put them down!
James 4:2b, "You do not have, because you do not ask God."
I have been journaling recently, and I have found that it is very beneficial to me spiritually. Almost every day I include some prayer requests about my greatest concerns that day. As I have looked back at some of my journal entries, I have realized that God has answered a number of my recent prayers. Things I have "temporarily misplaced" but needed badly have reappeared. Things I needed to do but couldn't seem to manage have been accomplished. There have been improvements in areas where I have prayed for others.
When I fail to pray about my days I operate in my power, and that's similar to riding a bicycle. I don't go too fast or too far, and I get awfully tired and often frustrated. On the days that I pray and commit everything to God, it's more like riding in a car. The power is God's power; I go faster and farther; the ride is much smoother; and I feel so much more serene inside.
All too often I have been guilty of needlessly living in the poverty of prayerlessness when God offers us such wonderful invitations as these: Hebrews 4:16, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Philippians 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." James 5:16b, "The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results."
Father, You have given us the wonderful privilege of communication with You. May I not waste this great gift but use it and benefit from it every day. Amen.
