Why Do I Love Him?

A few weeks ago, I was contemplating all the things God has done and is doing in my life and all the things He has given me. As my heart brimmed with love for God,  I was interrupted by this startling thought:  What if it all were taken away, and all I had left in the world was myself and my God?  Would I still love Him?  Would I still be praising Him as I am now?  Will I say with Job, "The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD"?  I had to think about that awhile.  That is a question we all need to ask ourselves, because there is coming a time when everything we have in this world will be taken from us, and the path we once walked by sight, we will have to walk by faith.*

I thought about Job and how he stood firm, not  having the scriptures to guide and affirm him.  Why did he stay faithful? How?  I wasn't sure that I could do that if I were Job.

But then it came to me...there is a sharp contrast between the life of the sinner and the life of the obedient.  There is simply pure happiness in walking in obedience to God's laws out of a heart of love. Job knew this way of happiness.  He had experienced it.  He could see that the God that so many scoffed and rejected was a God of love and wisdom that cared about him.  He had a close relationship with Him. For Job, there could be no turning back, no giving up on the One whom he had come to know...and love.  He loved God, not just what He gave him.

We must cultivate that vital connection with Jesus now.  We need to spend time with Him in prayer, reading His Word, contemplating on His life and His character.  As we do, we will begin to know Him...faintly, yes, as in a dim mirror.  But it will be a foretaste of the life to come, when we will come face to face with our Maker.**  Our Maker that died for us....

That's a reason Job didn't have.

We will begin to love Him for who He is, and not just for what He gives us.   That, my friends, is the secret for a life that will withstand the fieriest trials and, like Job, "come forth as gold."



* The Great Controversy p. 408
**The Great Controversy pp. 676-677

Thanksgiving

Yesterday marked the beginning of a whole new year to be thankful for. And this Thanksgiving I counted my blessings more than ever before. I can hardly begin...


All the beautiful things He has done and is doing in my life, and the things that He has graciously preserved.  The countless things we take for granted every day.  A loving family.  God's Word.  Miracles.  Friends. Trials. Yes, that's right. Trials.

Yes, I am thankful for trials,  I rejoice, because through them I have gained an experience deeper and  richer than I ever would have obtained. Through this past year, God has shown me, like never before, what it truly means to have a trusting, abiding relationship with Him.  As I look back over a very eventful, life-changing year, this one thing has been ingrained into my consciousness...that God is faithful.


Faithful to His promises.  Faithful to hold my hand and lead the way through the darkest and most perplexing times of my life, and bring me safely through.


I have discovered the power of prayer and the peace and security of leaning my full weight on those everlasting arms.  What a gift that, by God's grace,  I will always treasure.  What a gift that will never allow me to forget the Giver.

The Least I Can Do

Consider this a sequel to my last post.


What is this about giving honor and glory to God?  Some may think God is selfish for wanting all the attention for Himself.  Someone once said to me in an email after I expressed my amazement at what God had done for me, "God likes you, mainly because of how hard you work for Him. He should pay you more."  Oh did my heart begin to burn.  I responded, "No, He's done more for me than I could ever pay Him back for.  He has already promised me the world and I believe He'll keep his promise." 


To me, servitude is gratitude. The Lord works miracles in my life every day.  He has proven to me time and time again that I do not need to worry any more than the lilies do.  He has given me more than I could have thought to ask for.  How can I do otherwise than to express my thankfulness in willing service? 


Friends, when I see Jesus in Gethsemane with those sweat drops of blood upon His brow... 
When I picture Him on the cross as He says "forgive them for they know not what they do"... 
When I envision Him in the most holy place, making atonement for all the times I have hurt Him... my heart is overwhelmed with gratitude. This is no narcissistic despot. What else can I do but give Him the honor and praise He deserves. It's the least I can do.

Glorifying the Creator

The other day I came across this quotation, and it caught my attention....

"Music was made to serve a holy purpose, to lift the thoughts to that which is pure, noble, and elevating, and to awaken in the soul devotion and gratitude to God. What a contrast between the ancient custom and the uses to which music is now too often devoted! How many employ this gift to exalt self, instead of using it to glorify God! A love for music leads the unwary to unite with world-lovers in pleasure-gatherings where God has forbidden his children to go. Thus that which is a great blessing when rightly used, becomes one of the most successful agencies by which Satan allures the mind from duty and from the contemplation of eternal things." ~Christian Education 62.3 

We know that whatever our hands find to do, we should do it with our might. (Eccl. 9:10). Yet we often find ourselves falling into the trap of using our talent to boost our ego.  Being a musician, I am guilty of this myself.  It is a sly trap, and only an unswerving focus on Jesus can keep us on the straight and narrow.  A good question to ask ourselves, whether we be music-makers or music-listeners, is this:  What is my attention or the attention of others drawn to the most in this music?  Is it the awesomeness of our Creator, His unending love, the beauty of His character? Or is it  showmanship, awesome feats, how it makes us feel?    

Does this mean we ought not to strive for excellence in our praise to God?  I don't think so. Psalm 33:3 says, "Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise." Also, we glorify Him by making good use of the talents that He has given us. But there is a fine balance between excellence and prideful display of what we can do. 

One thing that stands paramount in my mind is this:  (I am using the voice as an example.) I did not create my voice.  God did.  Therefore it is His.  I am only His steward.  Should I not be using it for His glory?  We are creatures created to serve our Creator,  but so often we "serve the creature more than the Creator."  Romans 1:5  We think our talent is ours, and we may do whatever we like with it...when in reality, we wouldn't even have life if He didn't give it to us.  And eternal life is ours because Jesus "humbled Himself and became obedient unto death." Phil. 2:8

When you think of it that way, I think we owe the glory, our lives, to Him.