“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me…” ~ Psalm 139:23-24 (NAS)
I love taking photographs! I particularly like getting close up shots using a macro setting on the camera. I love capturing the details of blossoms, bees and tiny views that are often missed when taking shots from afar. There’s something about taking the time to zoom in and notice things I would ordinarily overlook.
Psalm 139:23-24 is like God’s macro lens. And, as much as I don’t want to be under anyone’s microscope, I know I need Him to point out the details that I often gloss over: anxious thoughts, unconfessed sins and anything that will hurt me and keep me from a right relationship with Him and others.
I came into focus under His macro lens today. A visiting missionary shared a request of how we can pray for the work his team is doing:
Pray that people will understand the difference between worshipping God and feeling they need to serve in order to please Him.
There is a subtle difference and I find I am guilty. My service and work for Him doesn’t replace my need for worshipping Him alone. Busyness and a desire to please hinders my relationship with Him, and the result is a loss of joy.
His word says, “Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation”; a time when He was all I needed. A time when I realized my desperate need of His mercy and grace and realized that He loves me in spite of who I am. That hasn’t changed; He loves me just as I am and I am still desperate for Him and Him alone.
So as I see myself a little more clearly, I ask for His forgiveness for making my work and service an idol. I cannot write, speak, teach or do anything without His help. John 15 says I need to abide in Him, staying close to the vine because He is the source of all things—and everything I need.
My life is but a breath in eternity. I want it to be spent in daily worship of the One who loves me despite what I do. Out of this will come a life lived to the fullest, for His glory and His alone.
Loved this post, Jeanne. Yes, it can be uncomfortable to realize how truly closely God sees us. Thank you
ReplyDeleteLove the pictures, too. I wish I was better at zooming in like that.
I'm thankful that even though God sees deep into my heart and knows all my failures, when He uses His macro lens, He sees the blood of Jesus instead of my sin!
ReplyDeletePeg,
ReplyDeleteYet, at the same time there is a comfort in knowing He sees me through the righteousness of Christ--I am forgiven and loved! I am known by name by the Creator of the Universe :)
Amen, Vonda!!! Washed clean; white as snow by His blood shed on Calvary. Redeemed!
ReplyDeleteI like the reminder about not confusing worshiping God with working for Him. Seeing his marvels through the lens of a camera is great way to start. Lovely pics and post.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Marcia. I need His reminders everyday!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Jeanne
Thank you, Marcia. I need His reminders everyday!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Jeanne
Thank you Jeanne! You are correct that we should try to separate our worship and time with God and our work for His glory.
ReplyDeleteEven though I do consider and I think we should consider our work for the Kingdom as worship, it is important to make the time for plugging into to Him.
As a Deacon Board member, Board Secretary and Church Webmaster at http://www.www.GraceFamilyAG.org, I can at times view too much of my work for the Kingdom as 'worship', when I should be using more time for a personal one-on-one connection with Jesus. We should not lose sight of who we are doing the work for.