Hello my dear friends! Have you ever experienced a season of your life where you felt alone, really alone? The kind of loneliness where it seemed no one cared about what you were feeling? Do the words "cut off," "separated," "excluded" have any special meaning for you? What is a disciple of Jesus to do (and think) when one's circumstances become overwhelming and is a fast-track to discouragement and even depression?
We must learn to worship Jesus. Worship will not make the problems of life go away, but it will give us the tools we need to take the next step towards a greater intimacy and dependence upon God. The Psalmist knew all about the troubles we face and he chose to worship Him. So must we.
Learning how to worship when life is hard,
Denny
Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #5
Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life
Key Scripture: The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him. Psalm 28:7
Core Value: Worship
An old Gospel hymn reminds us of this wonderful truth: “No one ever cared for me, like Jesus.” This song written by Charles Weigle came out of a season of his life that was filled with deep depression. Rejected by his wife, he felt forgotten and very alone. From his perspective, no one cared for him. To Weigle, it seemed that the burdens of life were impossible to resolve and a hopeless despair was to become his intimate partner for the rest of his life. And then, in the midst of his pain, the Lord began to stir his heart with the message of grace and of God’s love for him. As a result, adoration and worship filled his heart, culminating in these familiar words of his journey and his testimony of God’s goodness:
I would love to tell you what I think of Jesus,
Since I found in Him a friend so strong and true;
I would tell you how He changed my life completely,
He did something that no other friend could do.
No one ever cared for me like Jesus,
There’s no other friend so kind as He;
No one else could take the sin and darkness from me,
O how much He cared for me.
Are you in a spiritual funk today? Your worship of the Lord will help you take your eyes off of your circumstances and place them on the One who cares, who really cares, for you.
Principle #5 & Personal Application: The quality disciple has discovered the secret of living the victorious Christian life is a robust worship of the Lord.
A robust worship of the Lord will lead . . .
• To an inner strength and strong sense of divine protection: “The LORD is my strength and my shield”
• To a deeper trust in the plan Jesus Christ has for us: “My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped”
• To a life that is marked with thanksgiving: “Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him”
Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…
What one thing can I do in my life that will enhance my worship of the Lord?
How is my worship of the Lord linked to my ability to trust Him for those things that lie beyond my own control?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, may I never be satisfied with a luke-warm worship of You. Help me come to realize the great value that is mine when I make it a habit to offer to You a robust worship. For then, and only then, will I come to experience what it means for You to be my strength and shield; what it means to trust You with my whole heart; what it means to be helped by You; what it means to have a life marked by thanksgiving.
The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism
Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2011 All rights reserved.
www.dennybates.com
Note: Looking for a way to enhance your devotional life in 2011? Allow me to suggest purchasing a copy of Psalms of Discipleship: Growing in Grace. You can order your copy for only $15.99 (a $4 savings!). If you would like to have a devotional book that also serves as a spiritual life journal as well as a unique 21 point Bible study and personal assessment on grace, follow this link to my website where you can download a FREE SAMPLE at,
http://www.dennybates.com/Home/PODGIG.html
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