Category: More Than Gold

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

“Wholesome worship never minimizes the pain of this world. It could be all too easy to sing our victorious songs, forever sweeping the hardships of this life under the carpet. A far healthier approach is to acknowledge before God the pain of this life, and then choose Him in the midst of it…For some of us, worship will demand a gritty perseverance, by which we decide daily to choose the worth and ways of God over and above the pain of the struggle.

Yes, we must be honest and real in our struggles… But we must not sink down into the pit of despair and give up the fight, disregarding everything we know of God and disengaging with His merciful nature and goodness. If we do so, then we have lost our distinctiveness as followers of Christ, and our songs become no different from the despairing dirges of the culture around us—some of which start in pain, end in pain, and never have a hope of journeying anywhere else. The Christian distinctive not only accepts pain as a fact of life but also learns to be thankful in it.” [Matt Redman, Finding God in the Hard Times]

Prayer: Father, shine your light on me. Help me to overcome defeat, fear, hopelessness and grumbling as I declare the praises of you. You are my salvation, my joy and my hope. I worship you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to “Blessed Be Your Name” by Matt Redman (click here)

-DP

“Peter says these struggles are diverse. Again, to build muscle you need resistance. It can be dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, resistance bands, cable machines, TRX straps. There are all sorts of ways to apply resistance. And the people receiving Peter’s letter experienced all different kinds of struggles because of their faith: sometimes it was subtle pressures to conform to society, other times it was overt persecution. But it’s all doing the same thing, if you understand it correctly. Like in weight training, if I don’t know I’m weight training, I might think I’m being tortured or punished.

Peter is telling them, you’re not being tortured, or punished. You’re weight-training…You’re not being crushed, you’re building muscle and you’re seeing for yourself you have muscles already! A gift from God! Faith that not only are you exercising and developing; but this faith will get you through all the diverse obstacles in this world, until you reach the final result of life.” [Adapted from P. Jason Park’s message]

²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 (NIV)

Prayer: Father, build in me muscles of faith that are more precious than gold. Thank you for the gift of faith! In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to “Follow” by Passion (click here)

-DP

James 1:2-3 (NIV)
² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

What kind of trial are you going through right now? Let’s not waste this trial. When we are tempted to complain and murmur, or just simply give up, remember the goal of the trial.

“To dignify the trial is to pass the test; to treat the trial with contempt—to dishonor it—is to fail the test…James tells us, therefore, that trials are a good thing—if we have a positive attitude toward them when they come. He certainly doesn’t say we will enjoy them. Instead, we endure them. But we regard the thought of them as pure joy because of what these trials can do for us… And yet this perseverance is not the main goal…But it is what enables you to reach the goal that James envisages: ‘Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything’…James sees a time ahead for the person who dignifies the trial that will mean indescribable peace, the highest level of anointing, the soul uncluttered by greed, and a heart filled with the very presence of God. It is pure joy.” [R.T. Kendall, Pure Joy]

Prayer: Father, I trust you through the trial I’m facing right now. Give me grace to go through it well, so that you can accomplish your glorious purpose in my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to “I Need You More” by Bethel (click here).

-DP

1 Peter 1:6-7 (NIV)
⁶ In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷ These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold…

“The apostle Peter wrote this letter to Christians who were scattered throughout modern day Turkey. He praises God for all the incredible things they’ve experienced in the Christian life… the joy of new birth, living a new life in Christ, new purpose and a living hope. But being Christian doesn’t mean we’re suddenly immune to all problems. We have problems like everybody else in this world.

Christian joy isn’t a feeling that comes and goes. This joy is resilient and strong. It’s not a joy that’s only there when things are good. It’s a joy that takes us through our toughest moments. Problems can’t scare away this joy; this joy thrives in tough times. Peter wants his brothers and sisters to see that there’s a purpose to their suffering. The purpose is to reveal the true value of their faith, that it’s more valuable than gold.” [Adapted from P. Jason Park’s message]

Prayer: Father, I trust that through this trial you are making me stronger and resilient in faith as a disciple of Christ! Help me not to give up but to keep trusting, keep calling upon your name in prayer. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to “You Hold It All Together” by Maverick City x Upperroom (click here)

-DP

As we read aloud together the following passage and confession, let’s fix our eyes on Jesus once again today.

Hebrews 12:1-2a (NIV)
¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith…

Confession
“I pray, O God, that I may know you and love you, so that I may rejoice in you. And if I cannot do so fully in this life may I progress gradually until it comes to fullness… Let your love grow in me here, and there be made complete, so that here my joy may be great in hope, and there be complete in reality.

[…] Until then let my mind meditate on it, let my tongue speak of it, let my heart love it, let my mouth preach it. Let my soul hunger for it, let my flesh thirst for it, my whole being desire it, until I enter into the joy of the Lord, who is God, Three in One, blessed forever. Amen.” (Anselm of Canterbury, Proslogium, 1077)

Prayer: Father, I need your help today to live this life of faith. I know that I’m not running this race alone and that you are with me. Give me the grace to be faithful today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to “One and Only Jesus” by Vertical Worship (click here)

-DP