Hello my dear friends! Warm greetings to you. As I write today, I am reminded of how busy life can become for all of us. Busy is not always bad if we are busy doing the activities the Lord has entrusted to us for the day. The danger for busy people is a subtle one. We can be doing all of the right things but become so busy doing "the Lord's work" that we become consumed by the task and neglect the One who assigned the task to us. The lesson from today's Psalms of Discipleship hits the mark: we need to cease striving, to be still, to "be" and get to know Jesus better. May He turn our busyness into a deeper love for Him.
Learning with you,
Denny
Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #42
Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life
Key Scripture: "Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10
Core Value: Worship
“Cease striving.” Okay, good advice from the Psalmist, but how? How does one who is swallowed up in a culture that promotes rat race living cease striving? One translation uses the term “be still.” No matter how you translate it, it still means to quit what you are doing and become engaged to who God is and embrace what He is doing. But again, how?
The secret lies behind our heart and our willingness to worship Him. Note the progression: (1) cease striving. Slow it down. Be okay with the fact that God loves you, no matter what you do or do not do for Him. Then, (2) Know that He is God. Enjoy Him, embrace Him, exalt Him. Worship is the key for allowing us to cease striving, to quit trying so hard to impress Him and to know Him in the most intimate of ways. We need to take deep, cleansing breaths filled with worship for the One who has made Himself known through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Once we create a habit of being still before the Lord, then we can join in with the other followers of Jesus and exalt Him among the nations all over the earth.
Principle #42 & Personal Application: The quality disciple is learning how “to be” and earnestly seeking to know and experience the Lord through worship.
• We need to cease striving. True worship occurs when we stop trying to impress God with our busyness and begin to rest and enjoy His presence.
• We need to know that He is God. True worship occurs when we seek to know Him (know His character, know His ways, know His heart).
• We need to join the rest of creation and exalt Him. True worship occurs when we join together in unison with creation and exalt and praise His name.
Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…
What kinds of activities keep me striving and not resting in the Lord?
If a non-believer asked me to introduce the Lord to them, what would I tell them about the Savior?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You know how busy I can be—especially when it comes to doing things in Your name. Forgive me for the times when I equate busyness with godliness. Help me learn to love and serve You according to Your daily agenda for my life. This is the desire of my heart: to cease striving, to be still and to know You better today.
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.
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www.dennybates.com
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