Worship His Majesty

The Most Beautiful of God’s Creation Is His Re-creation of You

PREVIEW: as amazing as God’s work in nature was, it wasn’t even his best work. You see, you are his best work! You are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:10). The best of God’s power and majesty, glory and strength were on display when he redeemed you from your sin, made you a part of his forever family, and gave you a divine purpose for this life and the one to come. And none of that due to your own worthiness, mind you! It was all because of his great love! So whether you live in a place of beauty or not, why don’t you do what David did by falling to your knees to ascribe to the Lord glory and strength that he so richly deserves?

Worship His Majesty - Ray Noah

A Journey of Worship // Psalm 29:1-6 (TEV)

Praise the LORD, you heavenly beings; praise his glory and power. Praise the LORD’s glorious name; bow down before the Holy One when he appears. The voice of the LORD is heard on the seas; the glorious God thunders, and his voice echoes over the ocean. The voice of the LORD is heard in all its might and majesty. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars, even the cedars of Lebanon. He makes the mountains of Lebanon jump like calves and makes Mount Hermon leap like a young bull.

If you are a big fan of nature, like I am, you will love this psalm. David is extolling the indescribable majesty and awesome power of God in the ongoing witness of nature: The vastness of the deep blue oceans, the breathtaking beauty of the mountain peaks, and the chest-rattling sounds of the thunder complete with fear-inducing fierceness of an electrical storm.

Truly God was doing some of his best work when he created the cosmos.

The work that I now do requires more air travel than I ever imagined doing. Whether it is to Africa, or to some city in the Midwest or East Coast of the United States, each trip, along with navigating the unpredictability of air travel these days, the process of getting to, through, and home from airports, sleeping in hotels, all of which imposes physical and mental exhaustion on me, I never tire of flying back to the pristine beauty of the Pacific Northwest where I live. Nor does flying over the majestic Rocky Mountains. Seriously, when you see such grandeur, you wonder if God was just showing off when he created these places — the stunning beauty of Mt. Hood or Mt. St. Helens or Mt. Rainier, or the snow-capped wonder of the Front Range with its unhindered view of several 14,000 footers all the way from Pike’s Peak on the South to Long’s Peak on the north. Truly, it is hard to beat the views!

Sometimes it seems as though the pilots are flying the aircraft so close it seems as though you could reach out and touch God’s handiwork. Words can’t do justice to its overwhelming wonder. No artist’s canvas comes anywhere near God’s unequaled artistry, or in the case of St. Helens, his unequaled power. Without fail, each time I take in these scenes, I feel compelled to do what David did in Psalm 29:1,

Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!

But as amazing as God’s work in nature was, it wasn’t even his best work. You see, you are his best work! You are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:10). The best of God’s power and majesty, glory and strength were on display when he redeemed you from your sin, made you a part of his forever family, and gave you a divine purpose for this life and the one to come. And none of that due to your own worthiness, mind you! It was all because of his great love!

So whether you live in a place of beauty or not, why don’t you do what David did by falling to your knees to ascribe to the Lord glory and strength that he so richly deserves?

My Offering of Worship: If it is possible, get out in nature today, or this weekend, and not only off your praise the Lord for the beauty of his creation, but thank him for the beauty in you, his new creation.

The Coattail Effect

It's Nothing You Did - It's Everything God Did

SYNOPSIS: Today, REST in what God has done as a worshipful response for your salvation: Reflect on God’s grace. “It is by grace you are saved…” (v. 8) Express gratitude to God for the gift of salvation. “It is the gift of God.” (v. 8) Stop working for what you already have—God’s approval! “You are God’s workmanship…” Trade your ‘to do’ list for God’s. “Do good works which God prepared in advance for you to do.” (v. 10) You’ve crossed over the bridge of faith riding on Someone else’s efforts, so enjoy the ride! As John Piper said, “Delighting in God is the work of our lives.  God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.”

Project 52—Memorize:
Ephesians 2:8-10

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:8-10 are three of the most revolutionary verses in the entire Bible, dramatically revealing how our salvation really came about. Basically, Paul is telling us that we are saved totally by the love, grace, mercy, will and power of God. We had very little to do with it—except to simply, humbly and gratefully receive this marvelous gift. Even then, God helped us with that. This is the coat-tail effect: God did all the work, now we get a free ride on his efforts.

So what does this mean for me? Plenty! Among the countless numbers of ramifications, one of the most enjoyable is that I can sit back and simply rest in this wonderful gift of salvation provided in Christ Jesus.

Let me spell out 4 things from these verses using the word REST that you can try as a response of worship for your salvation:

Reflect: First of all, this week, reflect on God’s grace. Verse 8 says “it is by grace you are saved…” Verses 4-5 say, “Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead…” You did nothing to save yourself and make you acceptable to God. You were dead! Do you know what a dead person can do to be un-dead. Nothing—except lay there and be dead! It was all up to God. So just spend some time thinking about that, and it will lead to the response.

Express: Express your gratitude to God for the gift of salvation. Express a prayer of thanksgiving every day specifically for the gift of eternal life he has given you. Do you realize how marvelous this gift is? Verse 8 goes on to say that every aspect of your salvation “is the gift of God.” Even the faith to believe was God’s gift, according to the grammar of that verse. God has even provided you the ability to believe—how awesome is that?

Stop: Stop working for what you already have—approval! Verse 10 says “you are God’s workmanship…” God does not accept or approve of you based on your efforts—he does so based on Christ’s work. You were “created in Christ Jesus.” You are his masterpiece! So whenever you feel the need to perform for your worth—quit! You’re already worthy. Just take delight in God and what he’s done for you through Jesus. Delighting in God is a very spiritual matter—and it’s appropriate! So stop working for approval and enjoy God this week!

Trade: Trade your ‘to do’ list for God’s. Verse 10 says you were created, “to do good works which God prepared in advance for you to do.” Once you’re freed from the need to work for approval and acceptance, you can do the works that arise out of grace—those are the “good works prepared in advance for you to do.” What are those good works? I don’t know, but to paraphrase Augustine, “just love God and do as you please” and I have a feeling you’ll be just fine!

A flea was riding on an elephant’s ear when they came to an old wooden bridge.  And as they crossed the bridge wobbled badly and almost collapsed.  When they got the other side the flea said to the elephant, “Boy, we shook that bridge, didn’t we!”

Friend, you’ve crossed over the bridge of faith riding on someone else’s efforts.  So quit trying to add to it—it’s already done. Quit trying to get there—you’re already there. Just rest in who you are in Christ based on what he’s done for you on the cross.

And enjoy the ride!

“Delighting in God is the work of our lives.  God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.”  ~John Piper

Reflect and Apply: Offer this prayer of gratitude: “Father, I am your workmanship. I am your masterpiece.  How marvelous the thought! Enable me to live up to that and honor your design in everything I think, say and do.”

Kick The Approval Habit

Being With Jesus:
John 5:41

“Your approval or disapproval means nothing to me, for as I know so well, you don’t have God’s love within you.”

One of the secrets to Jesus’ life—his incomparable achievements, his inner joy, his impact on history—was his freedom from the need for human approval. He understood his identity was in God; his Father’s approval was his true north. Nothing else mattered; nothing else swayed him—even to the point of enduring the worst kind of rejection and suffering to fulfill what his identity demanded of him. And that is why we call him Savior!

Don’t you wish you could live that way too—free from the addiction of human approval? Well, you can—and you should. Now it won’t be easy to embrace that your true identity comes from God, because your enemy, Satan, works constantly to rob you of it and replace it with a false identity that requires the constant approval of others.  But it will be well worth the effort to live, like Jesus did, as the person God’s sees you to be.

And how does God see you? Probably the most powerful truth in Scripture on God’s view of you is Ephesians 2:10,

“For you are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for you to do…”

Do you realize what that means? You—right now, not someday, but right now—are God’s masterpiece. You are his work of art created anew in Christ to reflect the supernatural beauty, fundamental goodness and intrinsic worth of God himself. That is why Ephesians 2:11 goes on to say, “Therefore, remember…” Don’t forget who you are and “Whose” you are and what he has done to recreate you!

You see, you are not the sum total of what you do and how well you do it. That’s not your identity. Obviously, you live in a world where you are expected to perform at a high level of effectiveness and excellence if you hope to succeed and have the approval of others. That is what you must do, but that’s not who you are! And if you make your performance the basis of your identity and worth, your life will be dominated by anxiety, dissatisfaction, fear of failure and all kinds of other insecurities.

Ephesians 2:10I am not the sum total of what I do and how well I do it. That is not my identity. Nor am I the sum total of what others think of me. My worth is not the result of their approval. I am of inestimable worth and infinite value because God says so! And He says I am His masterpiece!

Likewise, you are not the sum total of what others think about you. Your worth is not the result of their approval. You live in a world governed by popularity and polls where approval and acceptance are important. It would be foolish to deny that. But your worth is not based on whether others think you are pretty or powerful or charismatic or charming. You are of inestimable worth and infinite value because God says so. He says, “you are my work of art! A masterpiece. When I made you, I outdid myself! And when sin messed you up, I spent a lot to restore you; I paid to reclaim you as my very own with my son’s blood. Don’t ever forget that!”

If you do, you will succumb to this debilitating addiction that blinds you to the truth that you are of such high value to God. Being addicted to the approval of others will lead you to become a people-pleaser, overly sensitive to criticism and ultimately to a life where the fear of rejection affects everything about you.

God doesn’t want you to live your life addicted to others’ approval; he paid with his sons’ blood to set you free from the fear of rejection. That is why in Ephesians 2:11 the Apostle Paul called you to a very spiritual activity—the practice of remembering. What do you need to remember?

For one, remember that striving for other people’s approval is a wasted expenditure of energy and counterproductive to your faith. It’s foolish to exert effort to get what God has already given! When you catch yourself trying to convince people how smart, successful or striking you are just to gain their admiration, just stop and practice remembering: Remember just how enriching and freeing it is to live in God’s acceptance and approval.

For another, remember that other people’s opinions can only enslave you if you let them. Author David Burns writes, “It is not another person’s approval that makes me feel good. It’s my belief that there is validity to their approval or disapproval.”

Quit giving other people’s opinion of you that kind of divine power. Suppose you were to visit a psychiatric ward, and a patient came up to you and said, “I had a vision, and I was told the fourth person to walk through that door today would be special messenger from God. You’re the fourth, so I know you are the chosen, the holy one, the world’s savior. Let me kiss your feet.” Would you base your identity on that? Would your self-esteem rise as a result of that? Of course not! Why? You considered the source.

God is the only true source for your identity; only God’s opinion truly matters! As Ephesians 2:10 says, “You are his workmanship.” As your Designer, he alone is qualified to evaluate your worth. So don’t give worship to another’s judgment of you!

Practice remembering who you are—and Whose you are—and you will begin to live a lot more like Jesus did: free from the need for others’ approval.

________________

“The fear of human opinion will only disable; trusting in God will keep you stable.” (Proverbs 29:25)

Getting To Know Jesus: If you haven’t already, memorize Ephesians 2:10. And for extra credit, memorize I John 3:1 as well. Then each day this week, spend time before you head out for the day and before you go to sleep at night meditating on what God’s truth means for you.

What Makes You Blessable

Being With Jesus:
John 13:17 (NLT)

“Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.”

If we are going to be the kind of Christ-followers that God can bless, our behavior will have to align with our beliefs. What we “know” must become what we “do.” Specifically, we will have to live like Jesus lived, which means serving like Jesus served. Jesus made that perfectly clear when he said,

“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. (John 13:13-15, NLT)

So how did Jesus serve? Well, an entire book could be written on that, but among the many characteristics of the servanthood of Jesus, he was simply available to people. And thinking about my own life and the lives of most people I know, my sense is the critical need for most of the people who will read this devotional is reorienting their busy schedule to make serving Jesus by serving others the top priority in their life.

Think about how Jesus did that. Matthew 20 tells the story of Jesus walking to Jericho when some blind men start yelling at him: “‘Lord, have mercy on us!’” And it says, “Jesus stopped and asked. ‘What do you want me to do for you?’”

Now think about that: Jesus stopped! God turned aside to make himself accessible to those society had cast aside. Jesus did that a lot! Do you realize that most of Jesus’ miracles were interruptions? What we see as intrusions, Jesus saw as invitations—an opening in his schedule to serve God’s purpose by serving God’s people. If you and I are to grow into a Christ-like ministry mindset, that is the attitude we will have to cultivate. And here is what that means:

First, we will have to realign our crowded calendars. Matthew 6:33 says, “More than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things you want will be yours as well.” What that means is that if you will make God’s concerns your priority, he will make your concerns his priority. In other words, that will make you blessable.

Second, we will have to refocus off of ourselves and onto others. Philippians 2:4 says that in becoming like Christ, you have to, “forget yourself long enough to help other people.” That is truly the preeminent attitude of Christ-likeness. And it is one of the things that leads to a truly satisfying experience of life—giving yourself to others. Again, that is what will make you blessable.

Third, we will have to relax our perfectionism. Too many Christians wait for perfect circumstances to serve: when life isn’t so hectic; when the right ministry comes along; when other stuff gets done first. Ecclesiastes 11:4 says, “If you wait for perfect conditions, you’ll never get anything done.” Christ-like servants do the best they can with what they have for Jesus today. Like Jesus, they are available when the opportunity presents itself! By definition, a servant makes himself available at all times to his master, and that is what will make you blessable to the only Master that matters.

Jesus served because at the core of who he was there was a consuming desire to connect people with the grace, mercy and love of his Father. Serving was the primary means of that. Since, as a Christ-follower, you are being transformed into his character, that must be characteristic of you, too.

God has made—or more accurately, remade you—to serve him by ministering to others. Actually, “you are God’s workmanship, made to do good works that God himself has prepared in advance specifically for you to do.” (Ephesians 3:10)

Interestingly, and quite deliberately, the Greek word in that verse the Apostle Paul chose for “workmanship” is poiema. We get our English word poem from that. You are God’s poem, and when you serve in the mindset of God’s Son, you’re poetry in motion.

And when you do, you are at your most blessable!

“Just as a servant knows that he must first obey his master in all things, so the surrender to an implicit and unquestionable obedience must become the essential characteristic of our lives.” (Andrew Murray)

Getting To Know Jesus: There is one vitally important question you musts answer after you have been saved: Where are you loving God by serving others?

The Coattail Effect

Reflect:
Ephesians 2:8-10

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:8-10 are three of the most revolutionary verses in the entire Bible, dramatically revealing how our salvation really came about. Basically, Paul is telling us that we are saved totally by the love, grace, mercy, will and power of God. We had very little to do with it—except to simply, humbly and gratefully receive this marvelous gift. Even then, God helped us with that. This is the coat-tail effect: God did all the work, now we get a free ride on his efforts.

So what does this mean for me? Plenty! Among the countless numbers of ramifications, one of the most enjoyable is that I can sit back and simply rest in this wonderful gift of salvation provided in Christ Jesus.

Let me spell out 4 things from these verses using the word REST that you can try as a response of worship for your salvation:

Reflect: First of all, this week, reflect on God’s grace. Verse 8 says “it is by grace you are saved…” Verses 4-5 say, “Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead…” You did nothing to save yourself and make you acceptable to God. You were dead! Do you know what a dead person can do to be un-dead. Nothing—except lay there and be dead! It was all up to God. So just spend some time thinking about that, and it will lead to the response.

Express: Express your gratitude to God for the gift of salvation. Express a prayer of thanksgiving every day specifically for the gift of eternal life he has given you. Do you realize how marvelous this gift is? Verse 8 goes on to say that every aspect of your salvation “is the gift of God.” Even the faith to believe was God’s gift, according to the grammar of that verse. God has even provided you the ability to believe—how awesome is that?

Stop: Stop working for what you already have—approval! Verse 10 says “you are God’s workmanship…” God does not accept or approve of you based on your efforts—he does so based on Christ’s work. You were “created in Christ Jesus.” You are his masterpiece! So whenever you feel the need to perform for your worth—quit! You’re already worthy. Just take delight in God and what he’s done for you through Jesus. Delighting in God is a very spiritual matter—and it’s appropriate! So stop working for approval and enjoy God this week!

Trade: Trade your ‘to do’ list for God’s. Verse 10 says you were created, “to do good works which God prepared in advance for you to do.” Once you’re freed from the need to work for approval and acceptance, you can do the works that arise out of grace—those are the “good works prepared in advance for you to do.” What are those good works? I don’t know, but to paraphrase Augustine, “just love God and do as you please” and I have a feeling you’ll be just fine!

A flea was riding on an elephant’s ear when they came to an old wooden bridge. And as they crossed the bridge wobbled badly and almost collapsed. When they got the other side the flea said to the elephant, “Boy, we shook that bridge, didn’t we!”

Friend, you’ve crossed over the bridge of faith riding on someone else’s efforts. So quit trying to add to it—it’s already done. Quit trying to get there—you’re already there. Just rest in who you are in Christ based on what he’s done for you on the cross.

And enjoy the ride!

“Delighting in God is the work of our lives. God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” ~John Piper

Reflect and Apply: Offer this prayer of gratitude: “Father, I am your workmanship. I am your masterpiece. How marvelous the thought! Enable me to live up to that and honor your design in everything I think, say and do.”

Designed For Greatness

Reflect:
Jeremiah 1:1-3:5

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” ~Jeremiah 1:2

Most people struggle with three critical issues in life: “Who am I?” “Do I matter?” and, “What’s my place in the world?”

The first question addresses the issue of identity – Who am I?

The second addresses the issue of importance – Do I really matter?

The third addresses the issue of impact – What’s my place in this world?

All of those critical questions are answered when you grasp God’s role in your very existence—if you’re still wondering, Jeremiah 1:2 reminds you that it was God who created you—and then get on with that purpose for which he created you. Obviously, if God thought it important enough to create you, he must have an amazing, one-of-a-kind plan for your life.

The Bible in general and this verse in particular have a great deal to say about this business of identity and importance and impact:

What is your identity? You are somebody God planned for before you were even born. He scheduled your life before you even began to breathe. That is who are you: Somebody who matters to God.

What about your importance? If it was God who “formed you in the womb” and even “knew you, before you were born”, the probability of your significance is around, well, 100%!

So what about the impact God has planned for your life? The Creator who divinely designed you did so with an eternal impact in mind for your one and only life. The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:10 that you are “God’s workmanship, created in Christ to do good works which God prepared in advance for you to do.” Yes indeed, God has designed and built you for impact.

Even though you may not be a “prophet to the nations” like Jeremiah, God wants you to enjoy who you are and be confident in whom he has made you to be! When you do that, something powerful will begin to happen: God’s workmanship in you will be unveiled and the incredible impact he has planned for you will begin to be unleashed! You will increasingly appreciate your identity, you will begin to sense your importance, and you will start to make your impact!

And you’re going to make God smile, because you’re doing what he had in mind when he thought enough to create you!

“God makes no mistakes.” ~Karl Barth

Reflect and Apply: Romans 9:20 says, “The pot has no right to say to the potter: ‘Why did you make me this shape?’ A potter can do whatever he likes with the clay.” Quit trying to be somebody or something you are not. When you constantly compare yourself to others and conform to another’s vision for your life, you offend God.So accept what God has created in you; he likes it and you should, too.

 

 

Designed For Greatness

Essential 100—Read:
Jeremiah 1:1-3:5

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” ~Jeremiah 1:2

Most people struggle with three critical issues in life:  “Who am I?”  “Do I matter?”  and, “What’s my place in the world?”

The first question addresses the issue of identity – Who am I?

The second addresses the issue of importance – Do I really matter?

The third addresses the issue of impact – What’s my place in this world?

All of those critical questions are answered when you grasp God’s role in your very existence—if you’re still wondering, Jeremiah 1:2 reminds you that it was God who created you—and then get on with that purpose for which he created you—obviously, if God thought it important enough to create you, he must have an amazing, one-of-a-kind plan for your life.

The Bible in general and this verse in particular have a great deal to say about this business of identity and importance and impact:

What is your identity? You are somebody God planned for before you were even born. He scheduled your life before you even began to breathe.  That is who are you: Somebody who matters to God.

What about your importance? If it was God who “formed you in the womb” and even “knew you, before you were born”, the probability of your significance is around, well, 100%!

So what about the impact God has planned for your life?  The Creator who divinely designed you did so with an eternal impact in mind for your one and only life.  The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:10 that you are “God’s workmanship, created in Christ to do good works which God prepared in advance for you to do.”  Yes indeed, God has designed and built you for impact.

Even though you may not be a “prophet to the nations” like Jeremiah, God wants you to enjoy who you are and be confident in whom he has made you to be!  When you do that, something powerful will begin to happen: God’s workmanship in you will be unveiled and the incredible impact he has planned for you will begin to be unleashed! You will increasingly appreciate your identity, you will begin to sense your importance, and you will start to make your impact!

And you’re going to make God smile, because you’re doing what he had in mind when he thought enough to create you!

“God makes no mistakes.” ~Karl Barth

Reflect and Apply: Romans 9:20 says, “The pot has no right to say to the potter:  ‘Why did you make me this shape?’ A potter can do whatever he likes with the clay.”  Quit trying to be somebody or something you are not. When you constantly compare yourself to others and conform to another’s vision for your life, you offend God.  So accept what God has created in you; he likes it and you should, too.