The Air I Breathe

June, 2007 — Chapters 3 & 4

Louie reiterates how worship is something that even Satan can’t stop from happening because we’re all God-wired to worship something. But even with the Spirit of Christ indwelling each of, the battle for our worship rages because of the choices we must make minute by minute. Then against the backdrop of our 21st century me-centered culture, this timely insight: “So in calling us to prize Him above all else, God is both gaining the praise that is rightfully His alone and causing us to gain the greatest treasure we will ever know. God is not an egotist seeking more than He deserves from us. Rather, he is God, choosing, in worship, to reward us with Himself.”

God’s presence and invitation to live intimately with Him is a “reward.” I love it!

The following Psalm begs the question: What are the idols in our lives “made by human hands” that compete for our affection that only God deserves and asks of us?

Psalm 115:1-8 (TNIV)
Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. Why do the nations say, "Where is their God?" Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. But their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.

Ultimately, worship is about the “Who” and not the “what” or “where” of our lives (see John 4:1-26). I think we agonize so much about the seasons of distance between God and us because the lure of the immediate and tangible can so easily overpower our true necessity for the Transcendent and Invisible. It’s easier to walk by sight and not by faith, which, of course, is flipped with respect to Scripture’s advice. We all know better, don’t we? The importance of intentionality in our walks with Him cannot be overstated. Anything of an eternal and/or Spiritual nature rarely ever “just happens.” How much more so when the concept of relationship is introduced!

I’ve really enjoyed hearing from some of you already about your strategies to keep your allegiance to Him above all else. It’s fantastic to live in a community of fellow sojourners all pressing towards the same Destination.