Everyday Worship – Part 2
By Margaret D. Mitchell
Week of November 7, 2021
This series centers around God’s revealed Word to us in mid-October, which is that "everyday worship is very strategic for life."
Our Lord highlighted two key scriptures for this message: Luke 21:28 and Galatians 6:9.
Luke 21:28 AMP instructs us to "…stand tall and lift up your heads [in joy], because [suffering ends as] your redemption is drawing near."
Other versions of this scripture say to stand up, straighten up, look up and raise your heads as God’s redemption works on our behalf to bring us progressively from suffering into joy. Into "great power and miracles, in the radiance of his splendor, and with great glory and praises…" (Luke 21:27-28 TPT) as we continue to worship Him daily (1 John 3:2 TPT).
The second key scripture, Galatians 6:9 NKJV, says, "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."
To lose heart here means to lose inner strength.
John 3:15 ESV reminds us "that whoever believes in him may have eternal life."
So, since the eternal life of our Lord is inside of our hearts to strengthen us by faith, when we lose heart (inner strength), we need to check our faith factor. Since faith comes by hearing the Word, we must ask ourselves, “Which voices are we listening to?”
We can choose to grow in this eternal life on earth as we trust God and submit to His ways by faith more than ourselves (Gal 5:19-21 TPT). It’s how our souls get built in the highest strength above anything else that tries to come against.
Are we believing in God’s ways as much as in His promises to us? Are we believing in His benefits of Presence as much as in His rewards of completed tasks? What are we valuing and honoring most? God? Or the results of His promises? If it’s the latter, then there’s some growing out of selfishness (limitation) and into Love that needs to happen (1 John 4:18 (AMPC).
We can ask Holy Spirit to search our hearts and bring the conviction that leads us to repentance.
The evidence of living life God’s way by faith is the fruit of love.
1 John 3:14 ESV confirms this by saying, "We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death."
So, in the humility of devotion to worship God is where we hand over burdens of the task we were never intended to carry. It’s where we can honor the priority of Him as God above works and acknowledge our dependency upon Him as King above all. It’s where we can receive divine strength to carry on.
Job 33:4 NIV says, "The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life."
Everything worship-worthy of God is live-giving. It stirs a river of life that move from the Spirit of Christ in us, into our souls then back to Him. Holy Scripture makes it clear to treasure His Spirit of life over lesser things (John 3:6, 6:63).
God reminds us in Isaiah 45:22 TPT to "…turn your heart to me, face me now, and be saved wherever you are, even from the ends of the earth, for I alone am God, and there is no other.
He is our sole Source and Sustainer for life. He is our Completer. God is making us whole and completing our days with His life-giving abundance as we worship Him in Spirit and truth (John 4:24).
God has made us stronger in Him and is bringing us into a powerful place, void of shame and irrational fear (Isa 29:22).
He has transformed us into a more fitting, beautiful bride to live out His dreams He placed inside of us for a new, abundant life, into which we are now transitioning.
Can you see the pieces coming more together into the beginnings of an outward manifestation of wholeness—what is essentially a whole new life?
We will arrive into tomorrow as we come through yesterday's transformation. Therefore, our tomorrow will not be like yesterday. And the only way we can overcome that which tries to overcome us is to look at God and thank Him for His gift of transformation (redemption, liberation), His active life-giving miracles. His newness of life made manifest in abundance (Romans 6:4).
So, let’s check our hearts, repent of our ways above God’s and ask Him to help us move increasingly in His true life by faith in and worship of Him alone. Let’s keep our eyes on Him and our heads lifted toward Him as we anticipate the greater joy of His Presence and His miraculous power to produce all He said He would.
Lord, let it be unto us, according to Your will. In Jesus’ Mighty Name. Amen.
Friends, there is more to this Word. So, join me next week for Part 3 of Everyday Worship.
Margaret D. Mitchell is the Founder of God's Love at Work, a marketplace outreach purposed to share God's greatest power source - the love of Christ.
