Worship Devotional XXIX
Originally posted to the Facebook group on 6/13/2020.
Worship Devotional for 6/14/20
Of all the things vying for our attention and devotion, whether it be the many arguments being made to try to sway our minds one way or the other on so many different issues in the world right now, or the onslaught of advertisements by all the companies trying to convince us to spend our time and money on their products or services, or political candidates trying to convince as many people as they can to vote them into a position of worldly authority, or the temptations we face every day to give in to the many desires that are in conflict with each other even inside of ourselves — of all the worldly things that claim to meet our needs and satisfy our desires — the only One we need is Jesus. We have heard and been taught that He is the only One who truly satisfies our hearts and that He is all we need — but do we really grasp the weight of that truth? Are we desperate for His presence, His truth, His word, and to witness His Spirit moving within and around us? Have we been driven to our knees in prayer and repentance by a revelation of the truth that God alone satisfies?
Throughout this year, we have sung songs about the God who satisfies. We have meditated on His love, His sovereign power, the salvation and hope we have in Him, and His mysterious but wonderful nature and character as He has revealed Himself. This week, we are crying out for His presence to fill our hearts as we praise Him with song, hearing His word, having fellowship with one another, and living our lives as believers. We are making the simple yet profound confession: "Lord, I need You!" In a world of lost and broken people who are trying to tell us what we need and who we should be, we who have the Spirit of truth within us must confess what is needed by all people everywhere: a relationship with the true and living God through Jesus Christ His Son, based on faith and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Pray with me that our eyes would be and would remain open to the presence and the work of God in our lives as we endure the trials of these times.
Matthew 11:28-30:
"Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Here are this week's songs:
1) Come And Let Your Presence by Tim Reimherr
As we seek Him this week, may God fill our praises with His presence. May everyone who hears the children of God giving glory to God be met with the power of God's Spirit and drawn to faith in Jesus. This song is simply a confession and a prayer that God would be the only One we seek, worship, and love.
2) Lord I Need You by Matt Maher
and the hymn "I Need Thee Every Hour"
Whatever it is that weighs on you — whatever you may be going through — the Lord is the One we need. He is able to provide for and to protect and keep those He loves. His guidance, His grace, and the hope we have in Him are unmatched. He is our defense and our righteousness.
3) Open Up Our Eyes by Elevation Worship
As believers in Christ, we have the Spirit of God living in us. That means His presence is here. His presence is actually living inside of us constantly! We get so distracted by the world that the eyes of our hearts are often closed to what He is doing. This song is a prayer that God would open our eyes to His faithful love in our lives, that we would recognize and walk in it.
In 2 Kings 6, we read about when the king of Aram tried to capture the prophet Elisha. Elisha was warning the king of Israel about the king of Aram's plans against the nation. So the king of Aram sent a massive army by night to surround the city of Dothan where Elisha was staying in the hope that he might capture Elisha and stop him from warning the king of Israel. Elisha's servant got up in the morning and saw the army surrounding the city, and being afraid, he asked Elisha what they should do.
2 Kings 6:16-17:
"Elisha said, 'Don't be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them.' Then Elisha prayed, 'Lord, please open his eyes and let him see.' So the Lord opened the servant's eyes. He looked and saw that the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."
Lord, open our eyes that we may recognize Your presence and Your work among us. Help us to see that You are truly with us always. Teach us to take refuge in the shadow of Your wings and to trust that You are fighting for us, that we may stand by faith and not be afraid of the storms around us.
Our attempts to change and reform the world and ourselves by our own merit or ability are done in vain. The world cannot change or heal itself. Every single person is guilty of sin against the perfect law of God. Implementing rules and regulations and religious rites does nothing to mend the broken and horribly sinful condition of the human heart. This is because the world is not just in need of changing its behaviors. The truth is that without Christ we are dead. Not just a little off or not quite right, but dead. We cannot please God on our own unless He makes us alive. It takes the power of His Spirit to restore us. But we who believe by God's grace and His work in our hearts have indeed been granted this very gift! We have the only real reason to rejoice in the midst of the hardship and suffering that we see in the world; for we were once dead, but now we are alive!
Ephesians 2:1-5:
"And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient. We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!"
Scriptures:
2 Kings 6:8-17
Psalm 136
Matthew 11:25-30
1 Corinthians 10:13
Ephesians 1-2
1 John 4 (esp. v. 4)
As we confess our deep and desperate need for the Lord and for more awareness of His presence, let us remember when things get difficult in this life that He is more than able to meet our needs. He is more than able to satisfy our deepest longings. And He has promised to always be with us by His Spirit living inside of us. Therefore we have hope, we do not have to be afraid, and we can rejoice in the life that we have in Christ. I look forward to being with you all in His presence on Sunday.