Psalm 106 is a chapter reflecting on God's goodness and his people's stubbornness. I read it and asked myself, how could God's chosen be so callous to praise him and witness his miracles, yet go against their core beliefs and follow the teachings and lifestyle of others, over and over again? Why, and how, did they lose their desire to be different and have a unique identity?
This chapter lists God's amazing miracles - "he saved them," "rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up," "the waters covered their enemies." (Verses 8-11) In response, God's people - "believed they his words; they sang his praise. They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel." (Verses 12-13) What struck me even more was verse 32-33, "They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes: because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips."
God's people today are not so different. We want the power of God, but not always the discipline it takes to be different and unique. At our church's revival service this past Sunday night, Pastor told us to look inside those places in our life that only God can see. He compared us to the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark was covered in gold on the outside and on the inside - a place that no one would end up seeing. Both the inside and the outside were made excellent. We were reminded that God sees what's on our inside; sees what's in our hearts and behind our actions and thoughts - and he wants our insides to be excellent. We were challenged to let the Holy Spirit touch those areas of imperfection in our lives and make it excellent.
Near the close of revival, Pastor requested we pray for him. His request stood out to me as a good example and reminder to be humble. It recognized the pull we all have to stray from our uniqueness and become distracted by what's happening at the moment. I reflected on verses 32-33 above and thought about my Pastor. I thought about how our actions are strong enough to distract our ministers' focus and cause them to forget to "wait for God's counsel."
Psalm 106 ends with a refrain of: well, we were bad and felt the repercussions of our actions, but God had mercy on us and saved us. I don't want that to be my story tag line. I want to strive for the excellence we were encouraged to pursue. I want to learn to be able to lay down whatever is heavy and get in the presence of God and become heavy instead with his Holy Spirit. I want to remember God's rightness and proudly live in my uniqueness. I want my actions to encourage my leaders to seek God's wisdom.
It starts with getting into his presence and doing it with excellence. Not just reading my Bible or singing at church. It's going to have to be me taking 15 minutes for myself to sing and worship at home alone. Making space for patience in my day to hear God's direction before I make a reactive decision. It's going to mean counseling myself less and seeking wisdom from God's word and from the people he's placed in my life as counselors, like my husband. It's going to take me being humble.
This year is a year for excellence and growth and I'm really excited to be challenged in this way. I hope your heart feels the same tugging and wants more too.
♬ I Sing Praises to Your Name, medley♭
This chapter lists God's amazing miracles - "he saved them," "rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up," "the waters covered their enemies." (Verses 8-11) In response, God's people - "believed they his words; they sang his praise. They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel." (Verses 12-13) What struck me even more was verse 32-33, "They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes: because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips."
God's people today are not so different. We want the power of God, but not always the discipline it takes to be different and unique. At our church's revival service this past Sunday night, Pastor told us to look inside those places in our life that only God can see. He compared us to the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark was covered in gold on the outside and on the inside - a place that no one would end up seeing. Both the inside and the outside were made excellent. We were reminded that God sees what's on our inside; sees what's in our hearts and behind our actions and thoughts - and he wants our insides to be excellent. We were challenged to let the Holy Spirit touch those areas of imperfection in our lives and make it excellent.
Near the close of revival, Pastor requested we pray for him. His request stood out to me as a good example and reminder to be humble. It recognized the pull we all have to stray from our uniqueness and become distracted by what's happening at the moment. I reflected on verses 32-33 above and thought about my Pastor. I thought about how our actions are strong enough to distract our ministers' focus and cause them to forget to "wait for God's counsel."
Psalm 106 ends with a refrain of: well, we were bad and felt the repercussions of our actions, but God had mercy on us and saved us. I don't want that to be my story tag line. I want to strive for the excellence we were encouraged to pursue. I want to learn to be able to lay down whatever is heavy and get in the presence of God and become heavy instead with his Holy Spirit. I want to remember God's rightness and proudly live in my uniqueness. I want my actions to encourage my leaders to seek God's wisdom.
It starts with getting into his presence and doing it with excellence. Not just reading my Bible or singing at church. It's going to have to be me taking 15 minutes for myself to sing and worship at home alone. Making space for patience in my day to hear God's direction before I make a reactive decision. It's going to mean counseling myself less and seeking wisdom from God's word and from the people he's placed in my life as counselors, like my husband. It's going to take me being humble.
This year is a year for excellence and growth and I'm really excited to be challenged in this way. I hope your heart feels the same tugging and wants more too.
♬ I Sing Praises to Your Name, medley♭
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