Day 16: In Expectation

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Above all else Day 16

Expectation. I love the thrill of expectation. There is something satisfying about an expectation fulfilled. When we wait in expectation for the Lord, oh He does not disappoint. This is not an attitude of entitlement though. This is an attitude of celebration.

Will you press in with me as I prayer journal through these two verses in Psalm 145? I invite you to grab your journal and make much of Jesus with your pen and paper, too!

Press In

All eyes have turned toward You,waiting in expectation; when they are hungry, You feed them right on time. The desires of every living thing are met by Your open hand. (Psalm 145:15-16 THE VOICE)

~My eyes are turned toward Your goodness, Lord. Today I feast my eyes on the world around me with fresh eyes ready to behold even the littles of details that you never neglect…

~I wait in expectation, Jesus. You are always there, always in complete control. I expect the most beautiful fulfillment of your plan. Oh Lord, today I will get out of the way, get over trying to manipulate. Your timing. I expect.

~My hungry eyes focus on You, Lord. Today I turn away from that which leaves me depleted toward You who are satisfying… You care about my every need from my physical to my heart matters. Thank you, Jesus, for dealing kindly with me.

~I declare Psalm 37:4 today and I delight myself in You. I take joy in all that You are and who I as Your follower. I wait in expectation knowing that because my desires align with You, Jesus, You will give me what I ask. Lord, I ask that Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Let me always intertwine my seeking and wishing and dreaming with all that You are rather than my own agenda.

Delight yourself in the Lord,and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4 ESV)

Pour Fourth

Where do you set your expectations these days? It is tempting to cling that which is tangible: the approval of others, fear instead of faith, distrust rather than belief in the unseen. Oh but we can take hold of the assurance, the knowledge that our King will never leave us or forsake us. Let us expect the satisfaction in Him today, for we stand on firm footing in this truth. Walk firm in this today. Circle back to it often. Take even timid step in expectation. He will meet you there.

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Just RISE UP! officially releases in two weeks on October 7. I would be honored for you to join in on the movement of women who desire to make a difference with their lives…to make Jesus famous. Get your copy HERE!

Weekend Declaration: Until

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This weekend I’m stepping away from the noise. Yes, I have good noise and bad noise in my life. Alot of information tends to surround our lives, for better or for worse and it usually blocks me emotionally. Does this happen to you? I’m headed to dip my toes in the sand one last time for the season and breath in the grandeur of God via His big ocean. I feel my best way to continue this feast of worship, I must recharge and take in His goodness in a meaningful way.

You don’t have to make the trek to the ocean to do this too. Where is your quiet space? Where is it that you can simply be? What do you need to clear away in order to tune in?

Just Press In 

They will not be silent; they will talk of the grandeur of Your kingdom

and celebrate the wonder of Your power
Until everyone on earth who has ears to hear knows Your valiant acts
and the splendor of Your kingdom.
Your kingdom will never end;

Your rule will endure forever.
You are faithful to Your promise,
and Your acts are marked with grace.

The Eternal sustains all who stumble on their way.
For those who are broken down, God is near. He raises them up in hope. (Psalm 145:12-14)

Oh Jesus! Revive our souls with the knowledge of Your grandeur and spur us forward to declare Your fame until… We know that when we clear away the clutter in our heart and mind, we reenergize our worship in which You are due. Bless our time of recharging this weekend, Lord.

Pour Out

Something has to give, though, when we step away in order to recharge and fill up. There is a sacrifice. When we disconnect in order to reconnect with our Creator an open hand is necessary. An unclenching must occur. Pride? Unclench the thoughts that lead us to think our ways our higher. Jealousy? Let go of looking over the fence to check out the “grass that is always greener” on the other side. Ungratefulness? Drop our entitled attitude. The list could go on. I’m naming the big ones that I tend to grip tightly on a regular basis. What would yours be?

Pour Forth

Our Psalm 145 invites us to praise and praise and praise Him again until…until all who have ears to hear knows His amazing works. To me, this looks like I need to keep pouring forth until…well…does there need to be a time limit? But, we can’t effectively tell our stories if we muddled and full of everything but adoration for our King. The recharging and reconnecting is our key to living out the until mandate from Scripture. Will you be able to keep going until?

If we ask for eyes to see, He will deliver. Will you unclench, recharge, reconnect and then pour forth until?

Day 11: Live In Reality

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Can I thank you again for joining me in this 21 day feast? Yes, the act of worship is and should be worship-full and joy-filled regardless of circumstances. But honestly, this journey is best done together, don’t you think? When we sit at the table of our feast individually, yes, He is blessed. I know it. But joining together in community encouraging each other to keep going, to keep praising His name (no matter if we “feel” like it or not) makes the feast so much the more tasty.

Today’s verse brings me back to a concept that continually invigorates my vision of where I stand along the grand spectrum.

Kingdom.

The King.

The Kingship of Christ.

The word pictures in these words and phrases are captivating. Years ago when I began putting pen to paper––fingers to keyboard––my driving force was an action filled phrase that God laid upon my heart…

Living Out The Kingship of Christ

LIVE IT OUT!

It reminds me of my upmost reality, that Christ is King in all power and authority and with incredible love, we have the privilege of partaking in His kingdom. I even put that ! in my phrase to keep the urgency at the forefront. The kingdom is here, now, and coming soon. Ultimately fulfilled when Jesus returns but ever present and pertinent now. The ! keeps me focused and in tune to seek the kingdom daily.

Press In

They will not be silent; they will talk of the grandeur of Your kingdom and celebrate the wonder of Your power. (Psalm 145:11 THE VOICE emphasis mine)

Oh Jesus, our KING! We will not be silent. Give us a glimpse of your kingdom today. Thank you for allowing us to take part and step into our kingdom purpose. All to your glory and fame, Lord. We will live today with an extra measure of exclamation and dedication to You! Amen!

I dedicated an entire chapter in Just RISE UP! to kingdom perspective. Would you like to read just a bit?

Just RISE UP! Cover

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The kingdom of God is the reign of Christ—which seems odd and upside down to the world, yet gloriously logical in God’s kingdom.

Every kingdom has a king. But where most kings rule out of self-elevation and pride, our King came and served us first. He set the bar for us to follow as servants, and we can do that with the utmost dignity because we live and serve the King who defines the words good, beautiful, mighty, merciful, and grace.

In other words, adopt the mind-set of Jesus the Anointed. Live with His attitude in your hearts. Remember:

Though He was in the form of God, He chose not to cling to equality with God But He poured Himself out to fill a vessel brand new; a servant in form and a man indeed. The very likeness of humanity, He humbled Himself, obedient to death—a merciless death on the cross! So God raised Him up to the highest place and gave Him the name above all. So when His name is called, every knee will bow,in heaven, on earth, and below. And every tongue will confess “Jesus, the Anointed One, is Lord,”
to the glory of God our Father! (Philippians 2: 5-11)

We choose to participate in the kingdom when we decide to make Jesus and His Word the center of our lives, our utmost reality. The kingdom of God will continue on with or without us, but oh, what we will miss out on if we only watch from afar. By worshipping God as our Creator and taking part in His kingdom activities, we have the privilege of allowing God to use us for His ultimate purposes, as in Colossians 1:16.

God’s kingdom is here and now. His authority over all is undeniable, though many choose to live blind to it and to fight against His power. Knowing that He reigns over all the universe, we evaluate our priorities and where our loyalties stand, and our perspective adjusts. (Just RISE UP!: A Call To Make Jesus Famous, page 30-31)

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Pour Out and Pour Forth

How will you “not be silent” and “celebrate” His kingdom today? (Ps. 145) Will you choose to sing out loud today? Will you choose to sit quiet in fear and reverence before the throne of the King, ready to hear His mighty voice? Will you ask one person, “Want to know what God did today?” Go ahead. Let’s do this together!