I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. - John 15:15
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. - Psalm 19:1
Whether or not we give God praise today, He is going to receive praise. The trees will clap their hands; the mountains will praise Him. The stars, the moon, the sun, the scripture tells us in Psalm 19:1, are continually giving Him praise. So whether we give Him praise or not, He is going to get praise. He is going to get glory. So what does the Lord want from us today? I believe the Lord wants our hearts. Because Jesus said in Matthew 22 that everything you know about the law and everything the prophets have ever said hangs on this greatest commandment, that I want you to love Me with all of your heart.
So if God is going to get praise regardless, what can we offer Him this morning that He will not get from anywhere in creation? Hunger and desire to be with Him; relationship. Can you see this? He can’t get that from the rocks that will cry out to Him. He’s not going to get that from the oak trees or the mountains or the stars. He’s not going to get friendship. He’s not going to get a heart that hungers to be in His presence. He’s not going to get the love that He longs for.
This whole story of the gospel from Genesis to Revelation is a story of pursuing our hearts and getting back the friends that He’s always wanted. Let us reframe our lives to be centered around His presence. I heard someone say the phrase "presence-obsessed" and it has stuck with me. A person, a church, obsessed with being in His presence is a place where the eyes of the Lord can cease roaming throughout the earth and find a group of people that want Him to the extent that they will lay down anything and everything just to be with Him. Do you want be that for Him today? I do. I wanna be that place where His eyes can stop to roam and He says here’s a people that want me more than anything else in this world. I think that’s a blessing to His heart.
Questions to consider:
- What are some practical ways I can make room for His presence in my life?
- Is there a pocket of time in my day I can intentionally use to give Him praise? My drive to work? When I check the mailbox? While I eat lunch?
- Is there a task that I do daily that can be a reminder to refocus my attention and affection on the Lord? Every time I wash my hands? When I get up from my desk to get something from the printer? While making a meal or folding the laundry?