Wednesday, May 24th
Devotional written by Josh Green, Worship Leader
OBSTACLES TO WORSHIP: LACK OF FAITH/EXPECTATION
And without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Hebrews 11:6
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There was a time in my life when it felt like nothing was going right. I was a 19-year-old college dropout; my car had gotten totaled, I was on the verge of getting kicked out of my house if I didn’t land a full-time job, and the girl I was “talking to” romantically for a month decided to return to her ex-boyfriend. I was lost, heartbroken, car-less, broke, and thinking I was about to be homeless. So, I took a job perfect for a guy in my situation that loves Jesus: I became a camp counselor at King’s Camp in Mer Rouge, Louisiana. The pay was mediocre, even for a college student, but it provided free food, housing, and a situation where I didn’t need a car.
You can imagine how deep my prayer life became during this season. I was in God’s Word daily, desperate to hear God’s voice. Worship was a place where I was hungry for the presence of God. I leaned in so heavily for God to be real to me, and to show up miraculously, because I had no other option. I look back and miss how real God was to me at that moment. I was at the end of what Josh could do, and I needed God to sustain me (Psalm 55:22). I’ve found that I don’t lean into worship as organically when living for myself, my understanding, or my preference. When my life is about what I want when I want it, I find it hard to enjoy worship – even skipping church at times. But when I’m desperate for God to show up and work miracles, suddenly, I need that worship time. I need to be among people of faith in God.
One of my litmus tests of faith is whether I’m waiting on God for an answer or trying to work it out myself. Jesus asks us to take His yoke upon Him (Matt 11:29,30). When you’re yoked to something, you must match pace. How many times in our life are we trying to rush ahead of God’s timing or dragging our feet to try and stay put? But we find ourselves strangely and supernaturally assisted by Christ when we match step with Him. It’s incredible how we get to know Jesus better when walking with Him step by step. And as we get to know Him better, worshiping Him becomes natural and free.
REFLECTION: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas where you need to trust in God more. What areas of your life are you choosing your pace over God’s?
SONG RECOMMENDS: Breathe (Michael W. Smith)
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