Day 19

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Today’s Above All Else Scripture uses a phrase that is easily misunderstood: fear of the Lord. It is actually my hope that through our 21 day Above All Else feast our fear has increased dramatically. By fear we mean reverence and commitment to our King of kings.

I wrote about authenticity in faith with reverence and commitment in Chapter 1 of Just RISE UP! Does this speak to your heart this morning?

I truly believe that people in this generation respect those who stand for something, who live differently because they believe in something—any- thing—greater than themselves. This goes back to the desire to make your “mark” on the world. We have the opportunity to make a meaningful and eternal mark when we model lives of praise, when we live an authentic faith, full of reverence and commitment to the King of kings. Our friends and family may not always understand just who it is we serve and why we place Him above all, but our authenticity in faith will catch their attention. Even those who say they are Christians but don’t live out their faith will be challenged to examine what they believe or in whom they believe when they see us living differently for the sake of making Jesus famous. They may think we are weird. Weird is good! It means we are set apart from the pack . . . exactly what the Bible says we are supposed to be (2 Cor. 6:17).

The condition of our hearts—full of reverence for His name and commitment to love and obey Him always—steers us to a long-lasting passion to live with boldness for the fame of Jesus. When we cultivate a lifestyle that praises God daily, a strong passion arises. This passion is a daily discipline and a choice that starts with our thoughts which affect our actions and outward expressions.

With that in mind let us Press In…

All of you who revere Him—God will satisfy your desires. He hears the cries for help, and He brings salvation. (Psalm 145:19 THE VOICE)

Lord, we lift Your name Above All Else. We have called out to You in worship and we trust that You hear our praises and our please. This is our offering today, to bring You both. Amen!

Pour Out and Pour Forth

All of our feasting on the fame of Jesus over the past 21 days in no way negates our please and cries for help in the midst of worship. Yes, we have spent much time praising His great works. This places us in a position to better deal when life throws us twists and turns. It is in the trusting that He hears our cries for help. This trust is an act of worship.

As we lift our hands in praise, let us lift up everything…the good and the bad. The praise and the pleas. The Yes! and the Why? 

 

Day 18: He Is Near. Are you?

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Above all else day 18

As we draw near the end of our 21 Day Above All Else feast this is a good time to evaluate. Living intentionally to worship Jesus means a daily evaluation, regrouping.

Have we soaked in His presence to the point of saturation?

Have we worshipped Him from every angle, seeking out all that God, the great I Am, is?

Have I decreased for Him to increase in my heart, mind, and soul? (John 3:30)

Today’s Above All Else Scripture needs to be coupled with the ever familiar passage from Jeremiah. I am certian you know this one by heart but I’m wondering if you know the rest of the verse. You know…the verse that says “for I have plans to prosper you…”

But it doesn’t stop there!

Oh the beautiful truths abound when we continue to read Jeremiah 29:11-14…

You will seek Me and find me when you seek Me with all of your heart. I will be found by you…

What if those plans we seek after, those dreams we chase, that prosperity we crave were wrapped in the very gift and nearness of the King of the Universe. What if those things we have always wanted in life, those prayers we faithfully lifted up were second in comparison, pale in comparison, to the fact that we have fellowship with the One and Only? What if  His nearness were all that we need to feel blessed, with purpose, and prosperous?

Press In

The Eternal stays close to those who call on Him, those who pray sincerely. (Psalm 145:18 THE VOICE)

The Lord is near to all who call on him,to all who call on him in truth. (Psalm 145:18 ESV)

Pour Out

Father God, I worship you today in truth and with a sincere heart and intention. Lord, forgive me for those times when I wanted things more than I wanted You. Help me to de clutter so that I have room for all that You want to reveal to me. Today, I declare that I am seeking after You with everything I am. I declare that I will stand on Truth that You will be found when I seek. I know You are near, Jesus.

Pour Forth

This morning I reviewed our Psalm 145 in it’s entirety. The Spirit whispered to my heart: read it aloud. So I did. At first it was weird to talk out loud as I was the only person in the room. Then it dawned on me, I’m reading with the very King of the Universe in my presence. I started speaking the Word straight to Him just as I would speak to any one I love sitting right in front of me. I told Him how good He is and how awesome His works are. I know God loves to hear our praise…out loud!

Will you speak aloud straight to the Lord today? Go for it!

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Just Rise online study--pink

I wanted to remind you about the Just RISE UP! Online study starting November 3rd! It will be a wonderful time for us to come together as a community of women who love Jesus and make His name known in every square inch of our lives! CLICK HERE to sign up!

Day 17: The High Way

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Above all else day 17

Jumping in feet first. That is the best way to describe my attitude and actions before God started reigning me in and telling me to keep my head down. You see, it is in my nature to forge my own path. When I get a “great” idea, I’m all in. But, as I’ve splashed in the pool making a mess with water all around me, God is faithful anyway. He grabs my hand, pulls me out, wraps a towel around me and says, sit…child. Sit still for my ways are higher. I own the high way, the best paths. 

The past few years the Lord in His sweet, high way leads me down paths where I am challenged to quietly grip His hand and take one step at a time. Feet first with big splashes is not my motive any longer. For, those big splashes only serve to cause noise in my life; distract from His grace and Higher way. So, I look to God’s most right path in expectation that road will lead to more gratifying kingdom success.

Press In, Pour Out, Pour Forth

The Eternal is right in all His ways, and He is kind in all His acts. (Psalm 145:17)

If we were to search a handful of Bible translations we would see a few different words in place of kind. We would take in the words holy and gracious to describe our Lord and all of His acts and works. Oh in His ultimate purpose for the universe, our God takes us into account. He is kind in how He deals with us though we are not deserving. He is gracious to pour out blessings and pour out Himself (Jesus!) for us though we nailed Him to the cross. He is ever holy and righteous. Period.

Lord! Even when the road ahead is foggy and uncertain…we praise Your high way.

Lord! We take your hand daily walk in in the Your footsteps, Your gracious and trustworthy footsteps.

Lord! We slow down, even sit down on this journey when tempted to chase ahead of Your timing.

Lord! As we journey on your High way, let us see more and more and more of Your goodness…and we will make much of You along the way.

Amen!

Will your feast today lead you to choose His high way? Go for it…God is good.