“Smile on me, your servant; teach me the right way to live.” Psalm 119.135 MSG

Day 9 of 40: Using Noah as an example, five things give God pleasure (make God smile) – loving Him, trusting Him, obeying Him, praising/thanking Him, and using the abilities He gave us.

“Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.” Ephesians 5.10 MSG

The area that I need to work on is “trusting God completely.”

Warren says: “Trusting God completely means having faith that He knows what is best for your life. You expect Him to keep His promises, help you with problems, and do the impossible when necessary.”

Again, Noah is the example of a person who trusted God even when the task assigned him appeared foolish, took forever, and was nearly impossible.

But my issue is a little different. It’s not about doing something… it’s about NOT doing anything – which appears foolish, is taking forever, and is nearly impossible for me.

I seem to be in the “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46.10) mode… and that’s not easy for me. I’m feeling more like Abraham these days – trying to make God’s promises happen, rather than waiting / trusting God to deliver on them.

Is God smiling on my restlessness? I don’t know… but, if so, it’s an Oh-you-of-little-faith kind of smile. And, at least that’s something.

“The Lord delights in his people….” Psalm 149.4a NLT

“For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Zephaniah 3:17 NLT

Day 8 of 40: The theme of this week is worship. “We were planned for God’s pleasure.”

One way to look at it: God says “I love you.” And we respond, “I love you too.” God wants His love for us to be so implanted in our hearts and minds that “I love you too, God” is expressed in everything we do… it becomes our lifestyle.

My kids are both adults, each with four children of their own. But I still say: “I love you” to them. And they respond: “I love you too, Dad.” It’s not just a family ritual – we have a long history of mutual love and respect demonstrated by acts of caring and support… and mutual lifestyles that bring honor to our collective families. But it all started with Barbara and me… saying, expressing… even singing our love over our children.

And so it is with God – Worship begins with God singing His love over us.

The question today is: What common task could I do today as if I were doing it for Jesus? But I want to back it up a bit. I want to quiet down and listen to God’s love song… to me.

You may not be a Joe Cocker fan… but I sang this song to my kids. They both are “beautiful to me.” My daughter and I danced at her wedding to this song. And today… I’m hearing this song as God’s word to me:

I played this song at my Mom’s funeral… and today it’s for me. Imagine, God singing over us. Amazing.

 

“For everything comes from [God] and exists by his power and is intended for his glory.”  Romans 11:36 NLT

Day 7 of 40: I’m not very good at seeing God’s glory… particularly in the everyday experiences of life.

This morning I straightened the picture hanging in our entryway. It’s a print from the Met (NYC) of an angel done originally in glass by Tiffany studios. It’s really quite stunning and welcoming… but, this morning, my attention was on the frame – off by 1/4 inch.

I’m a “fixer” by nature and so… have a tendency to want to “straighten things out.” That’s why my attention was on the frame and I robbed myself of simply enjoying the picture.

I do recognize God’s glory in the big things… the birth of a child, the beauty of a sunrise, the grandeur of mountains, the wonder of thunder and lightning… those things are in my face – hard to miss. And besides, they are beyond my fixing.

It’s God’s glory in the little things, the everyday things, the things of life with their imperfections that I miss out on.

Today’s question is “Where in my daily routine can I become more aware of God’s glory?”

I think I’ll take the dog for a slow walk this morning… and take a look.

“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered — how fleeting my life is.” Psalm 39:4 NLT

“I am here on earth for just a little while….” Psalm 119:19a GNT

“There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4.18 MSG

Day 6 of 40: Last night I watched a TV show where a patient was being given anesthesia before having surgery… the patient died.

The scene brought back recent memories of receiving anesthesia myself before surgery… I could have died. I think the experience was a lot easier on me than for Barbara sitting and waiting without knowing the outcome.

Some folks worry a lot about when Jesus will come back to us (second coming) and forget that we might go home to Him first. Our lives are fragile and temporary.

I never thought of pastorates as being temporary assignments until I became an interim pastor. But, of course, all work, jobs, careers are temporary. Life goes on after we leave and, like footprints in the sand, we are forgotten. Unless we get someone to name a building after us. Then people wonder: “Who was that guy?”

Today’s question is “How does being a sojourner on this earth change how I live right now? Here’s some thoughts –

• I’m not accumulating much stuff these days – Starbucks city mugs excepted.
• I have a greater sense of urgency about using my time, energy and resources to further God’s Kingdom purposes.
• Over the years I’ve asked myself: “What’s to become of me?” Now I know.
• My attention has shifted away from politics… although I still yell at the TV.
• I’m thinking small, rather than big.
• And I’m looking for opportunities to “reach one more for Jesus”… that’s something that will last forever.

My song: