Here I am to worship,

Here I am to bow down,

Here I am to say that You’re my God

You’re altogether lovely

All together worthy,

All together wonderful to me

It was not until the fourth time we sang those words that it finally dawned on me what I was saying!   And then there was a question.  Why was I there?  Why did I get up, get dressed, go to Sunday School and ‘Preaching’ (that’s what I remember hearing folks call it when I was a young one)?  Why was I there?  The only worthy reason for me to be there was to worship; to bow my heart, my soul, my will, my wants, desires, dreams, needs, all of it – bow and surrender all to Him.  Only then can I say to Him, You are my God.  And then I will be saying You are all together lovely, You are all together wonderful to me.

And that’s just one of the things I heard since we last met at this screen.  Jerry and I watched a movie last night entitled The List.  The film is based on a book by the same name written by Robert Whitlow.  It ended with this line: And God said My people and My enemies do the same thing; they underestimate the power of prayer.  Ponder that a moment.  We did and we immediately prayed.  And you know what — He heard and I know that for which we prayed is handled and in time we will SEE that it is.

And on page 75 of a wonderful little book titled Touching Wonder, Recapturing the Awe of Christmas by John Blasé, I read these words:

Always… Mighty One, I know of my own pleadings for You to do something! My life’s story tells me that You have, are, and will.  But it’s always in Your time, I do want it that way, even when I scream to the contrary. 

Sincerely, John.

Do you so totally get that?  If it does not come to you with the first read, read it again.

And one more before I close.  Of the many things my Pastor said this morning, this is one I must share with you.  As he spoke of the Body of Christ and our day-to-day living he said folks of the world might say to us: ‘If you will show me your redeemed life, I might be inclined to believe your Redeemer’.

Isaiah 47:4 As for our Redeemer, the LORD of hosts is His name, The Holy One of Israel. (source)

LORD GOD, You are my Redeemer and You do LIVE!  Praise You now and forever!   I pray You will take these disjointed ramblings and make them gel; bring Your Word to bear upon our souls so much so that our lives are indeed redeemed and honest seekers looking on have no choice but to say You did it.   Holy Spirit, I pray more and more we will come to experience the power You release when we pray.  And I pray more and more we will scream less and less to the contrary; and that we really do in the nitty-gritty of our hearts want everything done in Your Time and in Your way, not ours.  ABBA, You know every name spoken here today; we ask You to provide for them and if any one of us can enter into work with You on their behalf with deeds added to our prayers, please so move us, Lord.   And we pray for our IDOK Troops for their safety and health and well-being, each one of them. Please bring each one home safe and sound.  And in this moment as we close and post and send, I ask You to give rest and peace to each IDOK and each Reader and it is in the Holy and Beautiful name of Yeshua that I ask. Amen and amen.

Kathie