Do not let this book of the law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you may be prosperous and successful.
Joshua 1:8
Meditate on the word constantly. Write God's commands on your heart. Pray without ceasing. Practice living in God's presence. Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. It's a theme of so many commands and encouraging testimonies: stay completely and constantly focused on God.
And this is not a burden! It's the very promise of success, prosperousness and joy in the life of a Christian. It is the foundation to the experience of an intimate relationship with a God who is present in every little detail. God is real, and he is not not some distant, abstract (fake!) concept. Furthermore he is kind and good and that lifestyle of constant conversation with him, constant meditation on his law, is what gives him a chance to express that to you.
I was reading Richard Foster's classic Celebration of Discipline last night, and he made a particularly good point about the lifestyle of constant focus on God as it relates to corporate worship. "Worship" being more than just a formal expression of devotion and adoration, being the freedom of your spirit to intermingle with God's Spirit, and corporate worship being this plus the union and intermingling of individuals in God's presence.
Living in God's presence, experiencing him move in your everyday circumstances, is an important part of building a holy expectation for corporate worship. When you see God involved in your daily life, of course he'll show up for a gathering of his family! When your best effort at careful and complete obedience reveals God's grace and strength in your weakness, you grow in your understanding of his goodness and desire to express praise. And when you come into corporate worship with a heart stoked and ready, it absolutely serves to add to the fire and bless everyone present!
Of course, we're talking about uncompromisingly life-long and all-encompassing habits here, sometimes it can be difficult to get started. The best anyone can say is just keep at it, because it's worth it!
1 comment:
We haven't met yet, but seeing that you'll be staying with Abbie and I, I figured commenting on your blog wouldn't be too weird. And even if it is, oh well...
I love what you have to say about God meeting us individually and its wonderful effect on the corporate gathering of His family. Well put.
The rest of your posts are equally refreshing. You're a great writer! Keep it up!
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