Thursday, April 12, 2007

Presence Based Worship

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: 2 Samuel 4, 5, 6

II Samuel 6:20-23 (NIV)
20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal, daughter of Saul, came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” 21 David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel – I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.” 23 And Michal, daughter of Saul, had no children to the day of her death.

Luke 10:38-41 (NIV)
38 As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”


Good morning!

Michal and Martha must have been related. Here are two incredibly talented women; they are loving, loyal, and resourceful people. They recognized the real deal when they saw it. For Michal, it was her love for David, the young warrior, who slew one hundred Philistines and stole her heart away. When Martha met the Master, she immediately invited Him into her home, where she could serve and honor Him there. These women believed in putting faith into action. Their works took precedence over matters of faith. Michal’s anger kept her from understanding David’s heart as she watched him worship the Lord on the day when Israel brought the ark of the covenant home. Martha became angry because her sister Mary chose to sit and listen to Jesus, rather than help her with the entertainment detail. Martha’s service was appreciated, but it was her presence that the Lord coveted.

Do we get so busy doing the work of the Lord that we forget how important it is just to sit in His holy presence and wait for Him to speak? Are you willing to let go of the trivial, and waste your day on simply loving the Lord? King David understood the power of worshiping the Lord with all his might. He danced and sang before the Lord. He was willing to publicly humiliate himself if it would bring God the glory. Sometimes, when we lay ourselves at the foot of the cross with no hidden agenda, no honey-do list or plea for urgent help – we come simply to honor and glorify the Lord in His presence – some people may not understand what we are doing. Jesus honored Mary’s choice to sit in His presence, even when the expectation would have been for her to rise up serve the meal with her sister. Mary knew the real meal was right in front of her, and she could not pull herself away from Him. This is what presence-based worship is. It is a hunger that will not be satisfied except through seeking the Lord’s face each day. It is when we can do nothing to help ourselves other than run to Him, falling on our faces before His holy throne and crying out in overwhelming praise and thanksgiving.

Are you a Michal, bitter and envious of those people who worship the Lord full throttle? Do you resent those who would dance and sing in worship, raising holy hands to heaven, making what may seem a public spectacle of themselves, even if their actions bring ultimate glory to the Lord? What if the Lord told you to get up and dance in the aisle at church this Sunday – would you humble yourself and do it for Him? Or would you be more concerned about what your family and friends might say? Would fear of rejection stop you from answering His call on your life?

Are you a Martha, operating in a works-righteousness mode? Meticulous in the details of daily service, will we miss out on the main event because we’re just too busy to stop what we are doing and spend time listening to Him? No one can possibly earn salvation through any work of their own. That gift was given to us by Jesus Christ; He alone can save us. It is good to serve Him with all we are. In order to serve Him well, He must become the centerpiece of our day-to-day life. How much time do you spend in the presence of the Lord? What would you be willing to give up out of your very busy day to spend time seeking His face? Would you give up a baseball game on television? Would you be willing to give up that extra hour in bed to wait for Him to reveal Himself to you in praise and prayer? Would you take a lunch hour to prayer walk with Him at the mall, or in a subdivision, offering intercession for the people you pass along the way? How do you experience the presence of the risen Christ in your life?

May our lives become living worship as we humbly seek His face, glorifying His name in prayer and praise, every day in every way.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding
www.songofdeborah.com


Pray for: the desire to spend time in His presence today. He will carve out the time for you, if you are willing to sacrifice your day to Him. Let us become totally undone as we seek nothing more than to be in His presence today. He will change your life, if you let Him. I know this, because He has changed me.

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