Memory Verse of the Day (if I can remember it!)

James 4:7 "So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and God will draw near to you."

Monday, May 31, 2010

Holy Is the Lord

We are selfish.

 

I don’t think I really need to embellish that thought, I would assume that almost anyone reading that would probably agree. We, by our human nature, are selfish. My wife was saying just the other day how so much of what is wrong with our world can be broken down to a simple case of the “Me Me Me’s”. Do you disagree with that statement?

 

Take the seemingly increasing cases of road rage on most of the world’s streets and highways, can these cases be attributed to selfishness? Sure they can. I need to be first. I need that lane. I need to get out ahead of you. I need... I need...

Or, how about something simple such as the cost of living skyrocketing? Well, can this be attributed to selfishness? Sure it can. I want to make more money, so I need to increase the price of my products. I want more “stuff”, I want a bigger house, I want this I want that. Therefore, I need to increase the price of what I am selling to achieve this. No thought to maybe making the product better so it sells more. No thought to maybe just working harder. No, it is generally raise the price to make more profits. Cut spending on things that actually matter to make more profits.

 

How about obesity? Yes, I’m a bit hesitant to include this in here, and I do understand that there are many cases of obesity out there that are medically caused and cannot be helped. However, there are many, many more cases where obesity, even in its slightest form, can be attributed to selfishness. I can personally attest to this. I don’t want to exercise, it’s too much work. I want something to eat now, so I buy a burger and fries. I’m thirsty, but instead of water I drink a pop or a milkshake because I like it better. Yes, obesity can be blamed on selfishness.

 

I think most of our problems can be blamed on selfishness.

 

And as such, I believe God is trying to reveal to me my selfish ways. This weekend, during the praise and worship singing at church, I realized how much focus I put on my life and my problems and how little focus I put on God and who He is. I started to realize how selfish I truly am. I’ve always thought of myself as selfish, but to what degree?

 

The situation my family is going through right now I know we’re in it because of my selfishness. I saw something I wanted, and I wanted it now, so I took it. I have recognized my failure in this area, and repented of it, and yet God still has not relieved me from this situation. So I started to go through the “why” stage. Why haven’t you helped us out of this yet, Lord? Why haven’t you moved this mountain? And God seemed to tell me that the mountain He’s trying to move is me. The mountain is my selfishness. My focus on “me”.

 

Throughout this whole ordeal, I’ve been so focused on our situation. God, help us do this. Help us do that. Please remove this burden, please relieve this struggle. While that’s all fine and well in moderation, I feel that my focus on the situation is the exact opposite of where God truly wants me to focus. Yes, God wants to hear about our struggles, he desires to hear our desires. But he truly wishes for us to focus on Him, not on the problems we’re trying to leave at His feet. So often, I lug an armful of problems with me before God, tell Him about them and why I need them to be taken care of for me, and then I gather them all back up and walk back out with them still. My focus is so often on my problems, that I simply seem to “forget” to leave them behind!

 

On Sunday, we sang a song that we’ve sung a hundred times, but it hit me like a ton of bricks. So much so that my voice was actually cracking while I was trying to sing it. You probably all know it pretty well.

Alleluia, Alleluia.

For the Lord God Almighty reigns.

Alleluia, Alleluia!

Holy! Holy! Are you Lord God, Almighty!

Worthy is the Lamb, worthy is the Lamb.

You are Holy.

 

Pretty basic lyrics, and yet what they meant to me this Sunday was astronomical. God is Holy, worthy is the Lamb. What does my earthly problem matter in the grand scheme of things? When I meet God, will we talk about these issues? Will we debate them, will I demand an explanation as to why I had to go through these times? No! I am certain that at that time, I will become so aware of God’s holiness and my utter unworthiness, all I will be able to think about is what an awesome God! We, as Christians, will spend eternity worshipping God! Eternity! If that doesn’t even lend itself a little bit to the fact that God’s majestic holiness is so vast and so great that we will never fully comprehend it I don’t know what will.

 

Yesterday, I had my wife paint “Holy Is The Lord” on the handlebar of my mountain bike. I will now see that phrase for a full hour each morning and another full hour in the afternoon as I ride to and from work. Holy is the Lord.

 

Maybe you have financial problems that seem insurmountable.

Holy is the Lord.

Maybe your relationship with your spouse is on the rocks, and seems irreparable.

Holy is the Lord.

Are you sick and are asking for healing?

Holy is the Lord.

Are you hurting?

Holy is the Lord.

 

I’m not saying that these issues shouldn’t be brought to our Saviour’s feet. Quite the contrary. We should immediately bring these to His feet. We probably need to lay these issues at His feet daily!  But then, we must acknowledge who God is. Holy is the Lord! Regardless of what I’m going through right now, holy is the Lord! When we are done with our time here on this earth, when all withers away and “dissolves as snow”, one thing will remain. God! Holy is the Lord!

 

Who is God to you? Do you tend to focus more on your problems, your issues, or on God? We are selfish by nature, so it is natural for us to focus on us, on our problems. We selfishly expect God to wipe away our problems, to give us a more comfortable life, a life of freedom! Freedom from financial constraints, freedom from pain, freedom from arguments or harsh words between loved ones. But when did God ever promise that? Why are we here on this earth? For ourselves? Far from it! We are here for God, to worship God, to adore God! HOLY IS THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY!

 

Less focus on inward and downward things. More focus on upward and outward things. Who is God? Who is the Lord? He is Holy. Worship Him. He is worthy. Adore Him. Bring your problems to His feet, leave them there, and worship Him.

 

Holy is the Lord.