Category: To die with my boots on

Psalm 63:1-4 (NIV)
I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

As we received together on Sunday, we are called to live a life of continual commitment and recommitment to Jesus and his kingdom purposes.

Let’s take a moment to enter into the sanctuary of God and meet with him again. As we do, let’s declare that his love is greater and better than life itself! And just as the psalmist responds to this truth in worship, let’s also lift our voices, our songs, and our lives to him.

Prayer: Lord, because I have seen your goodness, help me to live a life of genuine worship. More than songs, may my decisions, life-orientation, and actions please you and reflect the goodness you have shown to me! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Let us worship to the song “Better Than Life” (click here) by Phil Wickham.

-GW

Philippians 3:7-9a (NLT)
I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him.

“As for me, I’m hooked. I’m committed now, not because I’m a superior Christian, but because I’ve become an addict. I know what I want, and I want what I want. His hook is in my jaw, and it’s painful but it’s also ecstasy to be pulled.” [John White, Magnificent Obsession, 21]

Selling everything to follow Jesus can seem daunting. But it is tough only when we allow it to be. If we see things from God’s eyes, selling everything and surrendering our all to him is freeing, it is life-giving, and it is the only natural and appropriate response when, standing before us, is the reward of Christ himself!

Prayer: Lord, I want to live for you with all that I am. Fill me with joy and gladness as I surrender my life to you. You are my reward and my treasure. There is nothing in this world worth giving my life to you than you! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Let us worship to the song “I Surrender” (click here) by Hillsong.

-GW

2 Timothy 2:3-4 (NIV)
Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.

“Soldiers in wartime must forego pleasure, not because pleasure is evil (though some pleasures are), but because more pressing claims demand their attention…Christians are called to warfare. The times we live in will not be normal until Christ returns to reign. Pressing duties demand that we endure hardships and forego pleasure…As followers of Christ, we are not called to pursue pleasure but to follow our leader. Yet we need not be discomforted by the showers of delight he occasionally surprises us with, even in times of war.” [John White, Magnificent Obsession, 29-30]

As believers, we are called to fight, in prayer, with this “soldier mentality” because there is a battle for life and death all around us. Christ has won the war, but the battle for the advancement of God’s kingdom here on earth persists.

Prayer: Lord, teach me to battle in prayer for those situations in my life that need breakthrough. Empower me to pray for those who need your rescue, healing, and salvation. I am a soldier for God’s kingdom and this is how I am called to live. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Let’s worship to “One Pure and Holy Passion” (click here) by Tasha Cobbs Leonard.

-GW

Psalm 84:1-2, 10 (NIV)
How lovely is your dwelling place,
LORD Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere.

“If we want to be committed to Jesus, devoting our lives to following him, we must radically change the way we view our lives. We must look both at our own lives and at the world through the eyes of Christ. Things which once mattered greatly will cease to matter. Other things once thought of as having no consequence will seem paramount.” [John White, Magnificent Obsession, 23]

When was the last time you looked at the world around you with the eyes of Christ? There is nothing more precious than a life that is lived with Jesus, a life that is radically changed, and a life that is continuously committed to him and his purposes. There is nothing – however great it may be – that can compare to being with Christ!

Prayer: Lord, where you are is where I want to be. My heart and soul cry out for you. Truly, better is one day in your courts than a thousand anywhere else! Help me to turn to you throughout the day, allowing this truth to change my heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Let’s worship to “Better is One Day” (click here) by Matt Redman.

-GW

Matthew 13:45-46 (NIV)
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

“The analogy is obvious. A lot of us spend our time looking for pretty agates and miss the sapphires of life in God’s kingdom… All of life is seeking after value… Our relation with God is the most important part of life. All other pursuits are trivial by comparison. More specifically, understanding what God has done in Christ and following Christ are more valuable than all else we possess or seek.” [Klyne Snodgrass, Stories with Intent, 247]

Let’s take a moment and let this reality sink in. We don’t have to look far to see that Jesus is our pearl of greatest price. As we recognize this anew, the only appropriate response is to surrender all of who we are to him.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, open my eyes to see the treasure that you are. Fill me with your Spirit so that I can respond appropriately to who you are and your great worth. My heart and my life belong to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Let’s worship to “My Heart is Yours” (click here) by Passion.

-GW