Thursday, July 5, 2012

My Worship Counts!

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His Name. Psalm 100:4


God delights in our worship. He responds to our thanksgiving and expressions of gratitude. It's so important for us to incorporate the daily habit of worshiping the Father throughout the day.  

There are choirs in Heaven made up of angels and the redeemed who are continually before God's throne singing songs of praise and shouting declarations of His Glory.

Can you imagine the sound? Voices lifted up in unison glorifying His Name in spirit and in truth? I bet it rocks the house down!

But today I realized that MY praise and thanksgiving is distinctly audible to Him.

Wow! That is a sobering thought.

I am not lost in the crowd. My worship counts and it delights the Father. My gratitude connects us in a way that goes deep. He is near and I experience His blessing.   

It's so simple and the benefits are so great. Why do I make it so hard? Why do I allow the distractions of this life to keep me from something that is so rewarding? 

Worship can happen in a moment; in an instant. It doesn't have to be complicated. A simple acknowledgment of His greatness when we see a beautiful sunset. A "thank you, Lord" when we receive an unexpected blessing or when the Holy Spirit whispers direction in a time of need.  We can stop, just for a moment, and tell Him He's awesome. We can thank Him for His Goodness. We can acknowledge His Lordship over all creation. And we can tell Him there is none like Him, He has no equal, no competition for our love and hearts.

John 4:23 - Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

"Father, help me to always be the kind of worshiper You seek."

Last Day in Tuscany

I spent the day enjoying the hotel where we are staying and spending some time with the Father. I have a lot to be grateful for. (For more on this, see today's post under the "Spiritual" tab.)

This evening I had a relaxing dinner on the patio, listening to music and watching the sun slip behind the hills. It was so beautiful and I tried to make mental notes so I won't forget the sights and sounds. I hope that in the future when I am feeling low I will be able to summon these memories and feel the same warmth I felt this evening. And no, it did not have anything to do with the chocolate cake I had for dessert!

Tomorrow we leave for northern Italy.

At dusk.