Worship Devotional XVI
Originally posted to the Facebook group on 3/13/2020.
Worship Devotional
"Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart / Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art."
"Your heart is all that I desire."
"You're the one thing that I desire."
"Christ is enough for me."
We often sing words like these in our church gatherings. Yet do they truly describe the way we live our lives?
The songs we are singing this week have really challenged me. I find myself so often consumed with thoughts and worries about worldly things, which are only temporary and are fading away. Granted, we all have responsibilities and things that are necessary to give attention to since we live here in this world. But as Christians, we are called to seek what is above rather than what is on earth, and in everything we do to give glory to God — whether it be in our jobs, our families, our time with friends, our time alone, etc.
Colossians 3:1-4:
"So if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God. When the Messiah, who is your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory."
We belong to Jesus. Our true citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20). We wait with yearning for the day when we will finally be where we truly belong — with the Lord in heaven forever. So while we are here on earth, we are temporary residents and strangers (1 Pt 2:9-12) — sojourners just passing through. We are here to bring glory to God in all that we do. The only way we can do this is if our hearts and minds are fixed on Him. That's what we are singing about this week.
Song list:
1) Be Thou My Vision (with "Lord You Are")
Have you noticed there is a correlation in Scripture with the eyes and with faith? There is a connection between looking and believing (consider the story of the serpent in the wilderness in Numbers 21:4-9 and John 3:14-15).
Hebrews 12:1-2:
"Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside the weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God's throne."
There are so many things around us vying for our attention and devotion. So many things claim to satisfy us, to protect us, to lead us, to make us wise and knowledgeable, to give us confidence, and to give us identity. Only God can truly, completely, and eternally fulfill these needs and desires — along with so much more. This hymn is a prayer for Him to be our Vision — and everything else that we need — to get through this life until we reach heaven's joys in the end.
See also: Proverbs 11:28, 18:10; John 17:13-26; Ephesians 6:10-18; Philippians 4:4-9; Colossians 2:2-3
The things of this world, which can feel so overwhelming at times, will fade away and suddenly seem very dim and insignificant in the light of God's glory and grace. This song draws from the hymn, "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus," and it is about turning our hearts desires to the Lord and letting everything else fade.
See also: 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:15; Philippians 3:12-21; Colossians 3:1-17; Hebrews 12:28-29; James 4:1-10; 1 John 2:15-17
3) Psalm 27 (One Thing) by Shane & Shane
Psalm 27:4:
"I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking Him in His temple."
His glory is what we live for. To spend time in the presence of the Lord every day to gaze upon His beauty and glory with the eyes of our hearts is no waste of time. For when we behold Him as He is, we are changed to become more like Him, and our hearts find the rest and peace which we so desperately long for.
See also: Psalm 23, 27, 56, 84; Romans 8:14-30
4) Christ Is Enough by Hillsong
We need to be reminded of the truth that God alone satisfies, so that we may have the faith and resolve to choose Him in the face of worldly temptations and trials. As we sing that "Christ is enough," may we tune our hearts to believe it in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. Whatever we need, God is able to provide. May we trust in Him with all our hearts.
This song draws from the hymn, "I Have Decided To Follow Jesus." If we truly believe and are convinced that Christ is enough for us, then we have the firm and final resolve to follow Him even when faced with the most difficult and painful trials. The hymn comes from a man who was persecuted for his faith. He was told to denounce his faith or else watch his family be killed before his eyes. He said, "I have decided to follow Jesus — no turning back." He knew that Jesus was enough for him, and through believing in Him, he had life and victory even in the face of death.
When I sing, "I have decided to follow Jesus," I do not sing in opposition to the sovereignty of God's will. On the contrary, I sing the proof of God's sovereign will, because I know that I had previously "decided" and "chosen" the world and sin and evil and rebellion. Only by God's grace and sovereign power in Christ Jesus, through His powerful word and by His Holy Spirit, have I been changed. My old foolish and wicked decisions have been revoked since I have been crucified with Christ through the cross. I have now been made new, and my resolve has turned to Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life. I have decided to follow Jesus because God first decided to save me and make me new in Him.
See also: Psalm 63; Matthew 11:25-30; Galatians 2:14; Philippians 3:7-21; James 1:2-18