Wholly Holy/At the Internet Cafe

I am a visual worshipper, so a trip to somewhere grandeous is all it takes for me to get perspective of how awesome God is. It is truly amazing after being a Christian for all these years that I can make GOD such a casual name in my vocabulary. As if He were the mailman delivering Good News…..or the maintenance man, making repairs in my life….an entertainer, performing music inside my heart and mind.

I was convicted as I sat, hiked and biked in the beautiful mountains of Colorado last summer that His name had become too ordinary to me. Don’t get me wrong, I uttered His name as "holy" in my prayers and in my worship, but in everyday living, I had not exalted Him to His proper place. I've been grappling with this ever since. Even today, I struggle with finding the balance between reverence and relevance, though I know it is His desire that I am both at the same time. This culture is full of Twittering "omg"s and variants of His name as an interjection to the most common of subjects. Yes, even among Christians. I've done it myself. But ever since the Holy of Holies opened my eyes to His view, I've wholly reconsidered.

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In the Key of HE,

Remember...

"Sometimes I go to God and say,
'God, if Thou dost never answer another prayer while I live on this earth, I will still worship Thee as long as I live and in the ages to come for what Thou hast done already.'
God’s already put me so far in debt that if I were to live one million millenniums I couldn’t pay Him for what He’s done for me."
A.W. Tozer (Worship: The Missing Jewel, 24).

Lord, I will remember your deeds, and yes, Your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all Your works and consider all Your mighty acts. Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as You are? I remember that You, Oh God, have been my Rock, that You, the Most High, have redeemed me. I will look to You and Your strength, always seeking Your face. I will remember the wonders You have done, miracle after miracle, and also the judgments You pronounced. Glorious and majestic are Your deeds, and Your righteousness endures forever. You have caused me today to remember Your wonders. You are so gracious and compassionate. In the night I will remember Your name , O Lord, and I will keep Your law. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember You. You are my highest joy. I meditate on the fact that long ago, You said, "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more." Thank you, Lord. I will remember the former things, those of long ago. YOU are God, and there is no other.YOU are God, and there is none like You. You have forgiven my wickedness and remembered my sins no more. Yes, Lord, I remember, and I could never pay You back for all that You have done for me. And you wouldn't even ask me to. I love you, God. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Prayer adapted from the following NIV Scriptures: Psalm 77:11-13, Psalm 78:35, Psalm 105:4-5, Psalm 111:3-5, Psalm 119:55, Psalm 137:6, Psalm 143:5, Isaiah 43:25, Isaiah 46:9, Hebrews 8:12


In the Key of HE,

Big Deal?

I was watching my eight-year-old daughter yesterday as we were driving down the freeway. Her eyes were busily occupied with all the scenes around her. It took me back to the memory of looking out the car window myself as a kid. Even though I lived in rural Illinois, the world seemed so big when I was looking out the window. Every car, every person, even the corn fields…BIG!

Now when I’m driving, I see lots of cars with little people in them holding hazy objects up to their ears. I used to study the expressions on the faces of people as they would pull up next to me….now I see a shadow out of the corner of my eye. I used to notice big buildings and distinctive landmarks. Now I’m lucky if I notice a speed limit sign or a curb (my SUV needs an alignment, go figure). Weird how I’ve just grown used to my surroundings.

The same is true of my view of God as a kid. He was larger than anyone I could ever imagine. He was somewhere way up high with really humongous ears and eyes. He was pulling the clouds with a string, and He was keeping all the events of the whole world in motion. “He’s got the whole world in His hands…..” was a regular melody inside my head. He was a great big God…..the BIGGEST!!!!

I still BELIEVE God is big, but sometimes I allow Him to be too common. I pass Him by as if He were another building or a blurry person in the car next to me. I get used to my surroundings, my way of life, my bubble.

When did this perspective change? And why? I don’t remember….the windows of my mind are blurry on the subject. I think MAYBE, though, on my journey to have a more personal relationship with Him, instead of Him becoming familiar in an awe-filled way, sometimes I’ve allowed Him to be familiar in a take-for-granted way. Yuck, hate to admit this stuff.

I don’t want to be a kid again. I don’t want to see God as the grand Puppeteer. However, I sincerely pray that my Best Friend, The Savior of my heart and the Lover of my soul would never become just another face to me. I pray that I can love Him as much as He loves me; all the while, remembering that NO ONE can love with that huge kind of love.

HE is my omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent OMNI-Friend. He’s a big deal to me.