A Church with a Heart for our Community

July 15th Wednesday

Greetings in the name of “the King Eternal” (1 Timothy 1:17), Jesus Christ – THE Crucified and Risen Saviour! What a beautiful morning in the Kingdom! I trust that all has been well with you and yours and that you enjoying all the life you have been given–even at its longest, it can be very short. We must not waste a moment. Today I will be praying for you, asking Father to – “bless you and bless you indeed, to expand your territory, may His hand be upon you and keep you from evil and evil from you, and that you may not cause harm to anyone!”

I have been thinking about and meditating upon and speaking about “surrender” and its place in our lives as Christ-followers. One of my discoveries is how “surrender” relates to “worship”. The first time I see the word “worship” in the Bible is in Genesis 22:5 and it is tied to Abraham’s intended “surrender” of Isaac. I have been pondering that for number of days now and kind of got stuck until I received a ministry email.

The email begins with a declaration: “I want to share a truth with you today about something that I believe can revolutionize your life. And, friends, this isn’t something I came up with; it’s what the Word of God teaches! It’s the most powerful, result-producing, hope-sustaining, life-altering thing you can do … that thing is … worship! James MacDonald, And to that I say: “Right on! James! I am with you!” It is certainly true for Abraham…and Isaac…and Jacob…and David…and Solomon…and dozens of others, including you and I. The strange thing to me is that “worship” is so closely affiliated with “surrender” …. and that seems counter-intuitive. 

I have learned from God’s Word, life experience, and the wisdom of individuals like James MacDonald that: gaining inner strength comes from surrendering my weakness to God in worship; receiving joy comes from surrendering sorrow-pain-disappointment-hurt to God in worship; finding hope to sustain in life’s difficulties comes from surrendering all that I don’t have to God in worship. In one key phrase, in the email, it says: worship is the catalyst for change.  James MacDonald. I can testify to and affirm the truth of that statement.

I would simply amplify that and say: surrender to God in worship is the catalyst for change. Even as I write this I am reminded of a prayer chorus I sang to God: The more I surrender to Jesus my Lord – The more of his fullness I know – The more I surrender to Jesus my Lord – The more of his grace he bestows…The more I surrender, the more I worship, and the more I receive! I conclude with some words I read to my congregation just this past Sunday: Humble yourselves (surrender), therefore, under God’s mighty hand (worship), that he may lift you up (instigate positive changes) in due time, as you cast all your anxiety (surrender) on him because he cares (can change) for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV (bracketed words added). Something to ponder.

Be blessed!