Letters with Love

from Worship Leader Magazine Volume 29 Number 1

Spiritual Discipline + Self Care

LETTERS WITH

love

As I prayed for every reader today, I opened my bible to Isaiah 66:1-2, a chapter from the great prophet that speaks much about the integrity of our worship before God. In the Passion translation it reads:

This is what Yahweh says: The heavens are my throne and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where is the place where I will rest? My hand made these things so they all belong to me,” declares Yahweh. But there is one my eyes are drawn to: the humble one, the tender one, the trembling one who lives in awe of all I say.

Amplified, the last few sentences say: “the man to whom I will look and have regard...is he who is humble and of a broken or wounded spirit, and who trembles at my WORD and reveres my commands.”

BEING IN GOD This is the continued call to treasure the Word of God. He tells us that His eyes are drawn to those who love His word. The challenge in the midst of all our ‘doing’ for God… is to remember that He actually desires a hungry heart, a believer who knows how to simply BE in His presence. He’s looking for those who come before Him to listen and hear Him speak through His word—as it’s in Him that we live and move and have our being. His Word is literally the lamp to our feet and the light to our path, alive and powerful, the whole foundation of our life in Christ.

STORING UP TREASURES

History tells us that there were few libraries in the ancient Roman world, and very few had access to those that existed. In that time, to hear the Word of God required a hunger. There were no paper and pencils for notation as we have today so people would literally put Scripture to memory, especially psalms, hymns, chapters of the Bible, and songs. These melodies of worship are part of this miracle of putting the Word of God to memory. It’s interesting that we’ve never had more access to the Word of God, and yet we can still find ourselves treating God’s word casually, almost forgetting the life that springs from within every prophetic word.

God’s Word is always at work, speaking to us, challenging us, growing us, and defining us. As leaders of worship and praise, creators of fine arts and literature, dance and expressed adoration in any form, we simply MUST be people of The Word. It’s essential that His voice is communicated through all we do with clarity, accuracy, consistency and creativity.

SCRIPTURE: THE TEXT OF OUR LIVES

I do encourage you that as leaders and influencers of worship, ensure that all you do is grounded in His word. Every time you sense God speaking to your heart and as you bring ideas forth and create songs and moments of wonder out of God whispers… confirm that content as our God never contradicts Himself. I have learned to keep a journal or at least a phone nearby to record statements, phrases, and ideas that I feel are God inspired, (as He speaks all the time). And if we are listening, absolute genius of genius is at the ready just waiting to be breathed in, then applied with care and poured out with passion. My prayer as I have walked out my faith, is that I would “Incline my heart” to His Word (Ps 119:36). And that, As David prayed, I would never stray far from His Word which is life to my body, soul and spirit. Lastly, that I would be a listener first, and then a doer of all He speaks to my heart.

My prayer…that I would be a listener first, and then a doer of all He speaks to my heart.

AN INVITATION TO MORE LIFE

The loving challenge continues… Jesus declared in John 17:2: "This is eternal life that they may know God." I can know a lot about music, a lot about worship, but still not really know God’s Word for myself.

We are encouraged in Psalm 46:10 to “be still and know” that He is God.

I encourage you all, at the beginning of this decade, make a new commitment to being a person who treasures The Word of God. Commit to being a worshiper who knows how to fix your gaze upon Jesus (Hebrews 12:2), Become quiet in His presence and listen for words He gently speaks to you. I guarantee you, your life will never be the same.

With much love, Darlene Z.

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