Choosing Our One Word.
Step 1: Prepare Our Heart!
I was reading my devotions recently and this statement from Oswald Chambers hit me hard; it convicted me, “The greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus is service to Him… to be more devoted to service than to Jesus. As workers for God we have to make room for Him… we forget to.” Truth. But ouch! Just stepped on my spiritual toes. How about you? We mean well, but we become so focused on ‘doing FOR’ Jesus that we completely forget about the ‘being WITH’ Him. And before we know it, we’re spiritually exhausted, depleted, done, over it! Been there anyone? Yep. In silence and stillness, we must make it a priority to sit at Jesus’ feet; listening and learning from Him. Allowing Him to pour into our life. To refill, replenish, refresh and renew us. So needed. Agreed? Oh yeah. But how? Psalm 37:7 answers, “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him…” Be still. In solitude and silence, sit at Jesus’ feet. Do we? Are we? Will we?
As we choose our ‘One Word’ for 2020. The first step in doing so is the ‘Prepare Our Heart’. But how? Answer. Stop. Unplug. Get alone with God. Be still. Clear our mind. Prepare our heart. Listen to God. To pray, “Lord God, as I prepare to receive Your Word for my life today – open my heart to Your voice and leading.” Intentionally stop the busyness and turn off all life’s noise, then be still with and silently listen to God. Return to Him. Rest in Him. Quietly sit with Him. In doing so, scripture tells us that we will be strengthened. But the question is, will we make this a regular priority? (Read Isaiah 30:15) Sadly, we often don’t. As one person wrote-spiritually speaking, “the silent killer is the busyness of life.” Psalm 37:7 again answers, “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him…” Be still. In solitude and silence, sit at Jesus’ feet. Do we? Mother Teresa said, “We must all make time to be silent…for it is in the silence of the heart that God speaks…we need to listen to God.” Truth. But are we? Do we? Will we? How?
Answer. Stop. Unplug. Get alone with God. Be still. Clear our mind. Prepare our heart. Listen to God. Pray Proverbs 23:19, “…direct my heart in the way of the LORD.”
See you this Sunday at 9:30 and 11:15 as we unpack ‘Step 1: Prepare Our Heart’. May you hear God speak to you in your still and silent meditation with Him today. God bless you friend. Be WITH Him today and every day.
With Jesus, quietly sitting at Jesus’ feet,
Pastor Doug
