“The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).
My church choir singing days ended early. Forever altered by the affects of my short-lived cheerleading experience, and my long-term aerobics instructor career, my limited range never recovered. Although no great loss to the audience, it was to me. Many Sunday mornings the dream of singing before my peers resurfaced. Admiring most in others what talent I myself lacked, I longed to join the vocalists. Several years later, one unsuspecting Sunday, my wish was granted revealing God’s great sense of humor.
Shortly after joining a new church I was invited to a Sunday school class for singles. The leader would open us up in song accompanied by his newly acquired guitar skills. None of the songs were familiar to me. I had grown up in a different denomination than the church I was now attending. My friends were tolerant of my missed cues and lovingly helped me along. If I messed up I simply laughed; keeping my volume relatively low. Somehow I’d managed to fool the leader. Thinking I was capable, he asked me to sing with him alongside my friends.
“Did he really pick me to sing in front of the class?” Years of untapped talent were about to burst forth, at least in my imagination! Excited, I jumped up from my seat feeling like a real crooner. Careful not to get too carried away, I kept my pitch lower than the others. Inside I was smiling brightly as we sang off key to a guitar played out of rhythm. Resisting the urge to bust out laughing, I wondered if God was rejoicing. Did we make His heart glow even though our skills needed perfecting? I sensed He was thrilled with the attempt because our cheerful hearts over compensated for our off-beat lyrics.
Thankful for that one chance, I did not expect to sing again in Sunday school. But God allowed my dream to continue week after week, much to my surprise. Months later I noticed my voice getting stronger, and my range improving. Although I still wasn’t gifted with a fabulous singing voice, it was exciting to feel less self-conscious. Who would have thought that I would be able to carry a tune after so much damage to my vocal cords? This was fun!
Sometime later the Lord impressed upon me that it wasn’t the sound of my singing that He delighted in, but the feeling behind the words I bellowed. That melody was sweet to His ears, and He challenged me to listen to His voice too. How precious to discover that Jesus delights over my fumbled attempts to sing His praises as He sings over me, His daughter. “The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).
Your fellow sojourner,
Mary
Showing posts with label worship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label worship. Show all posts
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
A Modern Day Forerunner
John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert. Make straight the way for the Lord” (John 1:23).
In Bible Study Fellowship we are studying the gospel of John this year. Before the Apostle John introduces readers to the Messiah he writes of John the Baptist, the one who points the people to Jesus. As I read the first chapter of the book of John, I was challenged by the reality that John the Baptist never denied Christ was coming, but rather denied he himself was the Christ when questioned by the Jewish priests, Levites and Pharisees. How often have my words and deeds failed to mirror those of John the Baptist? Even once is too much; this thought makes me sad. But God is igniting a new fire in me as I study this passage of Scripture. While John the Baptist directed people to the first coming of Christ, I (along with all believers) am commanded to share the news of Christ’s second coming. We are all modern day forerunners.
As a Christian, have you ever thought of yourself as one who is used by God to make straight the path to heaven? Or are you complacent in your own salvation assurance choosing instead to leave the work of evangelism to someone else? It is a very easy trap to fall into as life provides a myriad of excuses for each of us to claim as reasonable evidence as to why we are not sharing what the gospel offers. We justify our silence and validate the voice that lies when it tells us our faith in Christ alone is too narrow-minded, what others believe is none of our business, or we don’t feel “gifted” in this area of ministry. We have convinced ourselves that God selects a few special souls to share the message that judgment day is drawing near, and He does not need us to reach the masses of unbelievers on earth. We have forgotten we are no different than John the Baptist. We are His forerunners.
How do I know this? Because the last recorded words of Jesus in the Bible were the great commission to His disciples. As He anointed the twelve before He ascended into heaven, He still anoints His followers with His Holy Spirit today. The mission has not changed. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). Two things stand out to me as I read those words of my Lord and Savior—go and tell and I will be with you wherever you are. Jesus did not command me to soak in all the abundant life He has to offer and hoard it for myself. He has asked me to share His amazing love with others, so I may share in my Master’s joy when another sinner joins God’s family.
John the Baptist provided a wonderful example for me to emulate. He wasn’t concerned about how people reacted to his appearance, his actions or his words. John’s focus was always on leading others to repentance and salvation in the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. John was humble of heart and strong in spirit, for he left the results of his proclamations to God. He knew his place in God’s great plan for mankind’s redemption. John was not their Messiah. His only responsibility was to ready their hearts to receive Jesus. John was not appointed to lord over the people, but anointed to point the people to their Lord.
In over two thousand years the commission has not changed. Let us be those voices of light and life crying out in the spiritual wilderness of society so that others may believe. Jesus is coming back. Don’t you find it exciting to be one of His forerunners? I do! Pray with me to respond as John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert. Make straight the way for the Lord” (John 1:23).
Your fellow sojourner,
Mary
In Bible Study Fellowship we are studying the gospel of John this year. Before the Apostle John introduces readers to the Messiah he writes of John the Baptist, the one who points the people to Jesus. As I read the first chapter of the book of John, I was challenged by the reality that John the Baptist never denied Christ was coming, but rather denied he himself was the Christ when questioned by the Jewish priests, Levites and Pharisees. How often have my words and deeds failed to mirror those of John the Baptist? Even once is too much; this thought makes me sad. But God is igniting a new fire in me as I study this passage of Scripture. While John the Baptist directed people to the first coming of Christ, I (along with all believers) am commanded to share the news of Christ’s second coming. We are all modern day forerunners.
As a Christian, have you ever thought of yourself as one who is used by God to make straight the path to heaven? Or are you complacent in your own salvation assurance choosing instead to leave the work of evangelism to someone else? It is a very easy trap to fall into as life provides a myriad of excuses for each of us to claim as reasonable evidence as to why we are not sharing what the gospel offers. We justify our silence and validate the voice that lies when it tells us our faith in Christ alone is too narrow-minded, what others believe is none of our business, or we don’t feel “gifted” in this area of ministry. We have convinced ourselves that God selects a few special souls to share the message that judgment day is drawing near, and He does not need us to reach the masses of unbelievers on earth. We have forgotten we are no different than John the Baptist. We are His forerunners.
How do I know this? Because the last recorded words of Jesus in the Bible were the great commission to His disciples. As He anointed the twelve before He ascended into heaven, He still anoints His followers with His Holy Spirit today. The mission has not changed. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). Two things stand out to me as I read those words of my Lord and Savior—go and tell and I will be with you wherever you are. Jesus did not command me to soak in all the abundant life He has to offer and hoard it for myself. He has asked me to share His amazing love with others, so I may share in my Master’s joy when another sinner joins God’s family.
John the Baptist provided a wonderful example for me to emulate. He wasn’t concerned about how people reacted to his appearance, his actions or his words. John’s focus was always on leading others to repentance and salvation in the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. John was humble of heart and strong in spirit, for he left the results of his proclamations to God. He knew his place in God’s great plan for mankind’s redemption. John was not their Messiah. His only responsibility was to ready their hearts to receive Jesus. John was not appointed to lord over the people, but anointed to point the people to their Lord.
In over two thousand years the commission has not changed. Let us be those voices of light and life crying out in the spiritual wilderness of society so that others may believe. Jesus is coming back. Don’t you find it exciting to be one of His forerunners? I do! Pray with me to respond as John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert. Make straight the way for the Lord” (John 1:23).
Your fellow sojourner,
Mary
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