Today is my daughter’s 25th birthday. When I think back to the day she was born I remember that it was the beginning of a journey that is so precious in my memory. The journey is entitled, “My God Is at Work in my Life.” Let me share with you how it started.

We had Sunday dinner at church yesterday. We had a Sunday school fellowship following the morning service. It was a perfect day for the menu of soups, salads and sandwiches. I’m not sure what the temperature was in the morning, but it felt cool to me! We eat lots of soups in the fall and winter. The recipe I made came from a church fellowship in another state. One of these cool fall days you’ll have to try this:

I am reading a book entitled A Long Obedience by Eugene H. Peterson. As you approach the weekend and the time on Sunday to go to church and worship, I’d like to share two paragraphs from his book for your consideration:

“This word of God is everywhere in worship. In the call to worship we hear God’s first word to us; in the benediction we hear God’s last word to us; in the Scripture lessons we hear God speaking to our faith-parents; in the sermon we hear that word re expressed to us; in the hymns, which are all to a greater or lesser extent paraphrases of Scripture, the Word of God makes our prayers articulate. Every time we worship our minds are informed, our memories refreshed with the judgments of God, we are familiarized with what God says, what he has decided, the ways he is working out our salvation.

There is simply no place where these can be done as well as in worship. If we stay at home by ourselves and read the Bible, we are going to miss a lot, for our reading will be unconsciously conditioned by our culture, limited by our ignorance, distorted by unnoticed prejudices. In worship we are part of ‘the large congregation’ where all the writers of Scripture address us, where hymn writers use music to express truths that touch us not only in our heads but in our hearts, where the preacher who has just lived through six days of doubt, hurt, faith and blessing with the worshipers speaks the truth of Scripture in the language of the congregation’s present experience. We want to hear what God says and what he says to us: worship is the place where our attention is centered on these personal and decisive words of God.”

There you have it. We need to worship with believers. Staying home and worshipping a television preacher isn’t an option and oh, the blessings are multiple!

See you in church!

This blog is about refreshing others. It’s such a need in my own heart, and that creates a desire to share with others what the Lord does in my life. Jesus went to a solitary place and prayed early in the morning. He got away with His Father before the crowds crushed in on Him. Even Jesus needed the refreshment of solitude and prayer.

What a contrast there is between what the world tells us we should have and be and what the Lord tells us in His Word! This morning as I read Proverbs 16 I saw several of these contrasts.

The world tells us we should follow our heart when making a decision. The Word says to commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. (Prov. 16:3) In other words, we give to the Lord what we’re planning to do and we let Him guide our thinking and direct our steps. My heart will lead me astray, but the Lord will always lead me right.

The world tells us we need more money, more things, bigger house, better stuff. The Word says in Proverbs 16:8 – Better is little with righteousness than great revenues without right. It’s better to have little? Yes, when it comes from a life that is right with God. All our needs are taken care of when we walk with Him. We may not be listed among the world’s most affluent people, but at the end of this life it won’t matter.

Verse 16 of the same chapter says that wisdom is better than gold and understanding than silver! You will never read that in your local paper or hear that on a television talk show.

The world says you have to do whatever it takes to move up the ladder of success. Proverbs 16:12 says that it is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness and a throne is established by righteousness. Oh, that our politicians would follow that principle in their leadership!

The world doesn’t think much of senior citizens, but verse 31 says that the gray head is a crown of glory if it be found in the way of righteousness. Those that are godly seniors have earned a crown because they’ve walked with God, learned His ways, and honored Him in their many years.

This is another reminder to me as to why I need the Word daily. We are bombarded with worldly thinking every single day, and it contrasts the Truth that we need to obey. Let’s not chase after what the world dictates, but let’s let our goals and desires be lined up with the Word of God instead.