Greetings in the name of “Yahweh-hoseenu” (The Lord our creator) … and in the name of Jesus Christ, THE Crucified and Risen Saviour! (By now you must know that I have a new daily devotional planner that has a name of God for every day) What a beautiful morning in the Kingdom…yes, it is wintry and cold and windy and snowy and….BUT it is still beautiful! I trust that you have had a good week and experienced God’s love-perfect timing-gracious supply in a multitude of ways — and I trust that you were aware of all is good and right in your life. I am praying that you are excited about gathering for praise-worship-prayer-fellowship with your church family — it is going to be AWESOME! I will be praying for you today, asking Father to fill you with hope…living hope!
Just imagine the scene – there is a major battle taking place in your community, an exhausted enemy commander stops at your home for rest and refuge and while there is killed and his army scatters and your community has gained a major foothold among the nations…so you gather to celebrate and in the midst of the singing and praising – God speaks to the worship leader and says: ‘Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, break out in song!” Judges 5:12 NIV. “Excuse me! We are singing and praising. What do you mean–wake up and break into song!”… It makes me wonder, if there are times when we are simply going through the motions, doing what is expected, doing what we always do — and God wants to hear MORE. I wonder if there are times when God is shouting at us — “Wake up!”
This must be an ongoing concern for God, for we read these words:Get out of bed, Jerusalem! Wake up. Put your face in the sunlight. GOD’s bright glory has risen for you. The whole earth is wrapped in darkness, all people sunk in deep darkness, but GOD rises on you, his sunrise glory breaks over you. Isaiah 60:1-2 The Message. Do we ever get stuck in a rut…in the darkness of the world and miss the beautiful sunlight of God’s presence? Do we ever miss the beauty of a sunrise or sunset…or a lake-river-stream…or a flower…or a person…or a kind gesture-word-deed? Do we ever miss God…even when we think we are singing to Him and praising Him and praying to Him?
Today, my challenge…and maybe yours too…is to: WAKE-UP! and open my eyes to the things I usually miss…the daily miracles of living, the hope and desire to want to be more, to listen for the music and sing a counter melody-a new song, to see God and his glory, and shout: Thank You!
Have a good weekend and be blessed!