The Spiritual Shift: Conclusion--Relationships Realigned

                              Conclusion:

                Relationships Realigned

"Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near." ~Isaiah 55:6

We have done it! We reached the end of the 21-Day Spiritual Shift! Our goal was to be purposeful and spend 21 days assessing–and strengthening–our relationships. Like a patient leaving a productive chiropractic appointment or a person who can't see well finally getting a pair of glasses, hopefully we are walking a little straighter and seeing the world more clearly in all areas of our lives.

Let's recap our journey:

Week 1: Days 1-7     Spiritual Focus→We realigned our spiritual relationships.

Psalm 96

"Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come into his courts.
Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth.

Say among the nations, 'The LORD reigns.'
The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
he will judge the people with equity.

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for he comes,
he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples in his faithfulness."

Week 2: Days 8-14 Personal Focus→We realigned our relationships with people.

Psalm 73:21-26

"When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.

Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

(We discussed one part of this sweet verse in The Spiritual Sync during our Prayer Process. God is holding our right hand, so He would be using His left. Why? Because Jesus is the One at God's right hand. What a picture!)

Week 3: Days 15-21 Material Focus→We realigned our relationship with “stuff.” 

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20

"This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them--for this is their lot. Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil--this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart."

This verse sounds a lot like, "Do what you need to do and find peace and contentment in the Lord." A loving relationship with God gives us gladness of heart (as opposed to a grumbling, arguing, complaining spirit). With our relationships realigned, we benefit from growing the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our hearts: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control.

Our routine:

Assessment: Moving forward, we need to be a little more sensitive to our relationships. We need to pay attention to how they are shifting with the seasons of our lives and make the needed adjustments and realignments along the way.

Reassess Regularly: The order of our Spiritual Shift was purposeful. We must always make sure that we are aligning with Almighty God first. Often, when we put God first, other relationships align more easily.

As with The Spiritual Sync, it is tough to end our time together. Here are a few more reminders about the loving character of God for us to savor.

2 Chronicles 13:12

"God is with us; he is our leader. His priests with their trumpets will sound the battle cry against you. People of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed."

Exodus 14:14

"The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."

2 Corinthians 6:16

"What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
'I will live with them
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they will be my people.'"

If we haven't already, we need to right our relationship with Jesus. We have to do more than acknowledge Him, we must accept that we are sinners, we must believe He came as a sacrifice for all of us, we must confess our own sins and commit to doing better. What does it mean to "do better"? Follow Jesus. We are on His team now and His standards are high. Will we be perfect, no, but if we are committing to live a life as Jesus did, we will certainly Do Better.

Matthew 16:24-27

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done."

Having a team mentality can certainly help us understand our Christian relationship. Jesus is the ultimate team player; when we decide to be Christ followers, we are joining an eternal team. This whole Spiritual Shift has attempted to make us a better teammate. First, respect the coach; what the coach says is what happens. Second, respect ourselves and others. A team has to play as a unit; a team also has to have an understanding of the opponent. Finally, a team must maintain their focus; a team must manage distractions in order to be successful. As we go through this life, may we keep our eternal focus and help others join the team.

The world will come with all of its temptations, but we must hold firm and be steadfast. We must remain yoked with Jesus; we are on His team now.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Galatians 5:1

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

Romans 8:34-35

"Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger of sword?"

Romans 8:37-39

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

We have completed The Spiritual Shift, and we have realigned all of those very important relationships.

Let us end where we started, but, I believe these verses will mean so much more than they did at the start.

Psalm 46:10

“He says, Be still, and know that I am God; 

I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Micah 6:8

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. 

And what does the LORD require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy 

and to walk humbly with your God.”

We know how to truly be still before God and trust in Him. We know to act justly and to love mercy, and to hopefully, walk humbly with our God. May we daily continue to pray and to strengthen our right relationships and to loosen our grip on others.

Prayer: 

Oh, Almighty God. What a journey! Thank You for revealing the richness of Your Word. Thank You for desiring a relationship with us, Lord God. We want to know You better, and we want to help others know You as well. Guide us, Lord God. In Jesus' Name. Amen. 

“...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” ~2 Chronicles 7:14

 

The Spiritual Shift: Day #21 Stuff

                              Day #21 Stuff

"But godliness with contentment is great gain.
For we brought nothing into the world,
and we can take nothing out of it."
~1 Timothy 6:6-7

Let's go to an estate sale--in OUR homes.

We walk through each room seeing a price tag on each and every item.

We hear people haggle over the prices, negotiating for a better deal.

We have to hold ourselves back at times, because we want to grab an item out of someone's hands so that we can cling to it a little longer.

The sale continues, and every item--every "treasure" has found a new home. We are left standing in the empty shell of the home.

Since the possessions aren't in front of us, we come to a slow realization that the memories were the actual treasure of the items. We still have those.

We may have a sadness with the absence of the item, but we may also feel something else. A lightening--the weight of the item--isn't pressing on us. With the loss of the "stuff," we have a freedom that we didn't even know we were missing, and even possibly, yearning.

Has our life at some point shifted from us owning "stuff" to our "stuff" owning us? Does the weight of our "stuff" cost us more time, money, obligation, commitment than we ever realized?

Our routine:

Assessment: What is the current condition of our relationship with the "stuff" and "treasures" in our lives?

• What is the purpose of this relationship?

• What is the state of this relationship? What is going well? What isn’t?

• What changes need to be made to this relationship?

Adjustment: Let's do a realistic walk through of our living area. How tight is the grip we have on our possessions? What is the physical and spiritual cost of holding onto all of our "stuff"? If we happen to be brave, we may do this with a trash bag or box in order to gather up those "treasures" we are ready to release.

1 Timothy 6:8

"But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that."

Content. Be content.

Parents know the difference between a child who is easily content and one who is not. [The modern expression that seems to fit the description of discontent is "high maintenance."] How "high maintenance" have we become about our belongings?

Philippians 4:11-13

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

Jesus. A life knowing and serving Jesus. That is the way that Paul can "do all this." Jesus is Paul's "secret of being content in any and every situation."

Luke 12:15

"Then he [Jesus] said to them, 'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.'"

1 John 2:15-17

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever."

Is fitting into the world causing us to collect more and more? More importantly, is our desire to fit into the world causing us to turn away from God's will for our lives?

1 Timothy 6:9-10

"Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

Philippians 3:7-8

"But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ."

Luke 12:16-21

"And he [Jesus] told them this parable: 'The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'
"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I'll say to myself, 'You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.'
"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
"This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.'"

With whatever we receive in life, we must submit to the will of God. When we surrender our will to God's excellent plan, we will find contentment. Notice that God's plan for us doesn't necessarily include riches and wealth. When it does--if it does--may we hold on to those blessings loosely and be willing to share those blessings to the glory of God.

1 Timothy 6:17-19

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasures for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."

Matthew 19:23-24

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.'"

Matthew 6:19-21

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

What did our home walk through reveal to us? Are we able to let go? Do we have too much "stuff"? Remember, there is no right amount. We are all responsible to allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives to such a degree that we cling to the Word of God and God's Will for our lives more than we cling to any trinket or material item we might temporarily possess.

1 John 3:17-18

"If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."

If we are able, we are to help others. When we do, we understand the meaning of the words Paul attributed to Jesus, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).

2 Corinthians 9:6-8

"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

Prayer: 

Almighty God, Oh, how You have blessed us! We thank You for all that You have provided to us. Help us to appreciate all You do for us, and encourage us to pass along blessings to others. Help us keep in perspective both the value and cost of our material possessions. Help us to learn contentment; right our relationship with our stuff. Help us to seek the eternal value of Your Word. In Jesus' Name. Amen. 

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." ~Matthew 6:21

 

The Spiritual Shift: Day #20 Schedules

                        Day #20 Schedules

                                                                 ~Activities~

"So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!" ~I Corinthians 10:12

Imagine that our daily activities were selected or ordered at the start of each day at a drive-thru window:

"Good morning, I would like

• eight hours of sleep
• my eight-hour work day (with commute time it ends up being 9)
• a one-hour fitness class
• two hours in front of the TV to catch up on my current show
• practice my guitar
• do the laundry."

"Thank you, is that everything?"

"No,-uh-um, I can't think,-uh, please add

• shop for groceries
• prepare evening meal."

"No problem, is your order complete?"

"Not quite, please add,

• spend "quality" time with kids and husband
• read Bible, spend time praying."

We can probably see many problems with this situation, and we might also see a flicker of ourselves in this depiction.

In light of the verse at the beginning, I ask that we think back to a song we might have sung in our younger years:

"Oh, be careful, little eyes, what you see,

Oh, be careful, little eyes, what you see.

There's a Father up above looking down in love,

Oh, be careful, little eyes, what you see."

The song goes on for several verses to cover other aspects of our behavior:

Verse 2: "Oh, be careful, little ears, what you hear."

Verse 3: "Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say."

Verse 4: "Oh, be careful, little hands, what you do."

Verse 5: "Oh, be careful, little feet, where you go."

We know that our activities should be a reflection of our priorities.

We know that our schedules should indicate our values.

With that in mind, take a look back at my "order" for the day. What does it say about my priorities? What does it reveal about what I value?

Our routine:

Assessment: What is the current condition of our schedules?

• What is the purpose of this relationship?

• What is the state of this relationship? What is going well? What isn’t?

• What changes need to be made to this relationship?

Adjustment: Does our daily schedule reflect who we are and what we value? How can we adjust and realign so that what is important fits into our schedules first? What can we remove from our schedules?

Jesus' life reflected His priorities and His mission. Even when Jesus was twelve, His life revealed His focus. Luke 2:41-52 gives an account of Jesus' family making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem; on the return trip, Jesus' parents are unable to find Jesus. He had stayed behind in the temple courts sitting amongst the teachers.

Luke 2:49

"'Why were you searching for me?' he asked. 'Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?'"

At a young age, Jesus knew there was a purpose and a plan. He lived His life according to God's perfect plan.

Proverbs 16:3

"Commit to the LORD whatever you do,
and he will establish your plans."

Proverbs 16:9

"In their hearts humans plan their course,
but the LORD establishes their steps."

Clearly, God knows we have daily activities that we want or need to accomplish. In our fast-paced world, schedules are useful. However, much like my "order" above, are we filling our day with activities that really do not have much value--certainly not from an eternal lens? Are we filling our days with things that will not give us a strong foundation, with things that may even cause us to stumble when confronted by the force of the enemy?

Proverbs 19:21

"Many are the plans in a person's heart,
but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails."

I reflect on the above verse with some internal sadness. My interpretation of this verse is a cautionary tale for all. Is there a chance that we have had such a determined plan in our hearts that we were unwilling to follow God's plan, and therefore, we were either disciplined or missed a blessing? The parable of the lost son in Luke 15:11-31 somewhat reflects this idea. The son's actions taught him a lesson, and we can be sure that blessings that were missed in his absence from his family.

Life takes very difficult turns, and the psalm below reflects this. Being honest with God through these moments is important, and God wants to hear from us. While parents enjoy hearing the good that happens in a child's life, no parent wants their child to be suffering alone through the tough times. May David's words encourage each of us to honestly speak to our Maker about our own struggles.

Psalm 143 ~a psalm of David

"LORD, hear my prayer
listen to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness
come to my relief.
Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous before you.
The enemy pursues me,
he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness
like those long dead.
So my spirit grows faint within me;
my heart within me is dismayed.
I remember the days of long ago;
I meditate on all your works
and consider what your hands have done.
I spread out my hands to you;
I thirst for you like a parched land.

Answer me quickly, LORD:
my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me
or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.
Rescue me from my enemies, LORD,
for I hide myself in you.
Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.

For your name's sake, LORD, preserve my life;
in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.
In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;
destroy all my foes,
for I am your servant."

Praying to God and entrusting our "tough stuff" with our Creator takes faith. David had that faith. David was aware of all the past ways God had been faithful in his life, and he built these up brick by brick to make a solid foundation for his faith.

Maybe the verses below can be foundational bricks on which we build our faith.

Jeremiah 32:26-27

"Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 'I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?'"

Jeremiah 32: 38-41

"They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me and that all will go well for them and for their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul."

Let's go back to my order from the opening. What would you suggest I take off of the order?

Beginning with the most important priorities would be helpful. Prayer and the Holy Spirit will help with this. God will give us steadfastness of purpose. The fruit of the Holy Spirit includes peace and patience and self-control.

One of the best answers we can give to some opportunities that come along is No.

"That sounds like a wonderful opportunity, but it just won't fit into my schedule right now."

2 Timothy 2:4-5

"No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor's crown except by competing according to the rules."

Not only do our daily plans need to reflect our priorities, but they should also be building our faith. David had the courage to face Goliath partially because he knew God had protected him (and gave him victory) over a lion and a bear in past instances in his life. He knew his God; he knew the power of his God.

Do we have the same faith in our God? If not, let us continue to read and to study and to pray for wisdom to build a solid foundation of faith that will help us withstand the storms we face.

Luke 8:22-25

"One day Jesus said to his disciples, 'Let us go over to the other side of the lake.' So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
The disciples went and woke him, saying, 'Master, Master, we're going to drown!'
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 'Where is your faith?' he asked his disciples.
In fear and amazement they asked one another, 'Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.'"

Even as a follower of Christ, we will face storms. Maybe you have been guilty, like me, of having a fit in the midst of the storm. Jesus is calm; Jesus knows the purpose and outcome of this current storm, and we are asked to trust. When we fail to trust and instead wrap ourselves up in our comfortable blanket of pity, complaint, and sorrow, He may look at us and ask just exactly what he asked of the disciples: "Where is your faith?"

The guilt washes over us and chills us right through our blanket of sorrow. We know. We have the past proof that shows just how much Jesus has gotten us through in our lives. Why are we questioning Him during today's storm? "Where is your faith?"

Let us do better. Jesus deserves it.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.'"

Let us have faith in our Triune God. Let us know the power and the love and the protection of our God. Let us prioritize our lives for eternal purposes and hand over the scheduling of activities to our Maker. In addition, let us weed out those things that are of lesser value, especially if they do not have eternal purposes, "be careful little eyes what you see..."

Prayer: 

Almighty God, we love You and we need You! The choices in this life can be so overwhelming, and we want our lives to please You. Guide us with Your eternal wisdom. We surrender to Your will and Your purpose for our lives. Help us to make loving You and loving others a priority in our lives. In Jesus' Name. Amen. 

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." ~Matthew 6:21

 

The Spiritual Shift: Day #19 Entertainment

                     Day #19 Entertainment

                                        Our "Free" Time [Our "Me" Time]

"Take delight in the LORD,
                and he will give you the desires of your heart." ~Psalm 37:4

Be careful with the above verse. There is far more to its meaning than what comes with the first reading.

On the surface we might interpret a simple equation; one that is primarily about us.

If or when we delight in the Lord, we will get the desires of our hearts. Just to be ready, we may start compiling a list of our three wishes, planning to delight in the Lord after our list is complete.

However, the verse is a little more complicated than that--and far more beautiful.

Step 1: Delight in the Lord.

What does that even mean? Delight in the Lord? Delight?

When we delight in a meal, we enjoy it thoroughly. The food, the service, and the company far exceeded our standards. (i.e. I don't believe I have ever delighted in a fast food, drive-thru meal, but it did satisfy my hunger.)

When we delight in an accomplishment, we are proud of the hard work and dedication of the time commitment and quality of the product. (i.e. As parents, we would delight in watching our children compete or perform as they were growing up. I also currently delight in the room that we have turned into a library complete with a wall-size mural that encompasses moments and locations from our lives.)

Finally, when we delight in people, they bring us joy and peace and contentment and laughter. They bring the sparkle of delight to our eyes and a radiant smile to our faces. We feel an almost sacred settling to our souls when in their company. (i.e. We delight in having one or more of our adult children come home and fill us in on their happenings. It is easy to delight when spending time with young children. Children just have a way of bringing out delight.)

So, when the Word says to delight in the Lord, God is asking us to know Him, to spend time with Him, to communicate with Him.

Let's do just that.

Our routine:

Assessment: What is the current condition of our relationship with entertainment or our leisure time?

• What is the purpose of this relationship?

• What is the state of this relationship? What is going well? What isn’t?

• What changes need to be made to this relationship?

Adjustment: What do we fill our leisure time with? What do we find delight in?

Psalm 47:6-8

"Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the King of all the earth;
sing to him a psalm of praise.
God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne."

Psalm 92:1-5

"It is good to praise the LORD
and make music to your name, O Most High,
proclaiming your love in the morning
and your faithfulness at night,
to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
and the melody of the harp.
For you make me glad by your deeds, LORD;
I sing for joy at what your hands have done.
How great are your works, LORD,
how profound your thoughts!"

Psalm 81:2

"Begin the music, strike the timbrel,
play the melodious harp and lyre."

We delight in the Lord, and simultaneously delight the Lord when we praise Him. Almighty God wants us to know Him; after all, He already knows everything about us.

Like a child proudly handing over a flimsy, long-stemmed dandelion, we delight Almighty God when we wake up and say, "Thank You, Lord, for giving me breath for another day."

We also delight in the Lord by remembering, acknowledging, and sharing His miraculous acts in our lives. All those times when we know that God has worked mightily in our lives are not supposed to be kept a secret.

Currently we may be spending far more of our "free" time delighting in what the world has to offer. Delighting in the Lord will probably require us to change some of our habits. Let's make a better choice with our free time and "sing a new song."

Psalm 96:1-7

"Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary.
Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

Other ways to delight in the Lord are shared in God's Word.

I Thessalonians 5:16-24

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it."

I Chronicles 16:8-12

"Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.
Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced."

So, we aren't actually discussing all of those things that we call entertainment. The question to ask ourselves about each--or all--of our entertainment choices stems from a story that was shared at a small group gathering. These parents were marveling at a recent conversation between their teenage son and his friend. It went something like this:

"Hey, do you want to go see this movie? It is supposed to be amazing."
"Dude, that's two hours of your life that you aren't getting back. Are you sure you want to go? Are you sure it's worth it?"

What discernment and wisdom the friend shared! It is the same discernment and wisdom that we need to seek from the Holy Spirit in order to lead a life pleasing to God.

Colossians 3:1-2

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."

Jesus asks us to follow Him; He probably would rather not wait until we finish binge watching all five seasons of our favorite show.

                                                "Take delight in the LORD,
                        and he will give you the desires of your heart." ~Psalm 37:4

Oh, yes, we can't forget about Step Two, can we? Remember, this is the truly beautiful part of this precious promise from the Almighty God.

Step 2: God will give us the desires of our heart.

The mighty, miraculous part is that this is a continuous cycle: When we delight in the Lord, He shapes our desires. Our desires (what we want most of all) will be in sync with what God desires for us because our desire will be to delight in the Lord.

Prayer: 

Almighty God, forgive us for so selfishly fighting for "me time" and forgetting to take time to truly delight in You. Teach us to "sing a new song" by thanking You, by praising You, by delighting in You. We desire to know You and to serve You, Yahweh. In Jesus' Name. Amen. 

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." ~Matthew 6:21