“Now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.” Romans 5:11 NLT

O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.

• You know when I sit down or stand up.
• You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
• You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.
• You know everything I do.
• You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.
• You go before me and follow me.
• You place your hand of blessing on my head.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!   Psalm 139:1-6 NLT

Day 11 of 40: What a friend we have in Jesus! He is one-of-a-kind… like no other friend we will ever have.

Imagine, a person who knows everything there is to know about us – absolutely nothing hidden from Him – and still He “places a hand of blessing on our heads.” That’s way beyond my understanding.

Sometimes I think of God as one who loves me but wants to straighten me out… sort of like ironing out a wrinkled shirt. But my relationship with God has gone beyond that.

“All this is done by God, who through Christ changed us from enemies into his friends….” 2 Corinthians 5:18 GNT

From God’s perspective, I’m perma-pressed… no stains, no wrinkles. He loves me and wants me to consciously live in His presence… all the time.

No time outs… no breaks… no out-of-sight… no out-of-earshot… no out-of-mind… all the time. Not as someone who oppressively looks over my shoulder to fix me. But as one whose hand on my head is a “hand of blessing.”

Wow – I am a friend of God… He knows my name.

“So then, my friends, because of God’s great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer.” Romans 12:1 GNT

Day 10 of 40: Surrender, offering, sacrifice are at the heart of worship. Fear, pride and confusion prevent the surrender that God wants from us.

• Love overcomes fear.
• Humility overcomes pride.
• Obedience overcomes confusion.

I really don’t have to understand what’s going on in my life right now… but I do need to trust in God’s love for me; admit my limitations; and rely on God to work things out.

“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.” Psalm 37:7 NLT

This is a recurring theme in my reflections… I think it’s time for me to “sit down and shut up.”

“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.