Daily Devotionals
October 14, 2021
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 100
A few years ago, before the gray hair and expanded waistline, I loaded my wife and kids into the car to head out for a Sunday evening service to support a friend in ministry. Unfortunately, a disagreement with my wife caused my mood to sour. When the pastor asked me to share a word of encouragement with the congregation, I hung my head and said, “I’m very sorry, Pastor, but I don’t have anything.” I felt a wave of disappointment come over me when opportunity knocked and I couldn’t answer the door because my heart was in the wrong place. How many times have I entered a house of worship and neglected to invite the creator and lover of my soul to join me? How many times have I expected the choir to be my cheerleaders? How many times has the spoken word of God fallen on my deaf ears? If I’m honest, probably too many times to count. I’m a huge fan of Braves baseball and am proud of what the organization has been able to accomplish as regular contenders in the post-season. One of the reasons we are always in the October playoffs is that the pitching staff is adept at getting major league hitters out through an arsenal of different pitches that keep the hitters guessing. The pitcher will stand on the mound, look toward home plate, and wait for a sign from the catcher. When the right pitch is agreed on, the catcher will make adjustments and get into the proper position to receive. Since I am much older and slower than the young guys who do this, I have no desire to get behind a plate and receive a fast ball at a hundred miles an hour. But when I enter the Lord’s house, I want to be prepared to receive whatever the Holy Spirit has to offer, be it through a worship experience in music, the spoken word, or the encouragement of communion with the saints. I have discovered that if I start my pilgrimage with morning coffee and prayers of thanksgiving, I don’t have to rely on the worship singers to help get my heart right. If my heart is filled with gratitude and expectancy, I have the capacity to encourage others who may have had a pre-church challenge. And to take this thought just a bit further, if I have prepared my own heart, I can now pray without hindrance for our worship and pastoral leaders to be encouraged and filled to overflowing with all that God has planned for them as they bless us in word and song.
For Reflection
Can you reflect on a time when your worship experience was sabotaged by personal actions or attitudes?
Can you recall a time when you desired a deeper experience but needed encouragement from someone else to help you get into a position to receive?
Prayer
Abba Father, create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit that is open and willing to receive all of Your goodness and mercy. Holy Spirit, fill my heart to overflowing with Your love and peace that I may be a blessing to others. May Your kingdom arise in me. Amen.
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