November 14, 2021 7:00 pm
As they made their way toward their car, Zander escaped his mother’s arms and made a mad dash back toward the church doors. He didn’t want to leave! His mom ran after him and tried to lovingly wrangle her son so they could depart. When his mother finally scooped four-year-old Zander back into her embrace, he sobbed and reached longingly over her shoulder and toward the church as they walked away.
Zander may merely have enjoyed playing with friends at church, but his enthusiasm is a picture of David’s desire to worship God. Though he might have asked God to thwart his enemies for his own comfort and security, David wanted peace to prevail so that he could instead “gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple” (Psalm 27:4). His heart’s desire was to be with God—wherever He was—and to enjoy His presence. Israel’s greatest king and military hero intended to use peacetime to “sing and make music to the Lord” (v. 6).
We can freely worship God anywhere, for He now dwells within us through faith in the person of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 3:17; 1 Corinthians 3:16). May we yearn to spend our days in His presence and to gather corporately to worship Him with other believers. In God—not the walls of a building—we find our safety and our greatest joy.
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Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.
Today's reading is titled, Let Me Stay, and I'm Kirsten Holmberg. As they made their way toward their car, Xander escaped his mother's arms and made a mad dash back toward the church doors. He didn't want to leave. His mom ran after him and tried to lovingly wrangle her son so they could depart.
When his mother finally scooped four-year-old Xander back into her embrace, he sobbed and reached longingly over her shoulder toward the church as they walked away. Xander may have merely enjoyed playing with friends at church, but his enthusiasm is a picture of David's desire to worship God in Psalm 27. Though he might have asked God to thwart his enemies for his own comfort and security, David wanted peace to prevail so that he could instead gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. His heart's desire was to be with God wherever he was and to enjoy his presence.
Israel's greatest king and military hero intended to use peacetime to sing and make music to the Lord. We can freely worship God anywhere, for he now dwells within us through faith in the person of the Holy Spirit. May we yearn to spend our days in his presence and to gather corporately to worship him with other believers. In God, not the walls of a building, we find our safety and our greatest joy.
Today's Our Daily Read devotional scripture reading is from Psalm 27, verses 1-6. The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear.
Though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble, he will keep me safe in his dwelling. He will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me. At his sacred tent, I will sacrifice with shouts of joy. I will sing and make music to the Lord. Let's pray. Father, you are our delight and our joy. We long to worship you without distraction or interruption. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Whisper: medium.en / 2023-07-22 23:01:09 / 2023-07-22 23:02:40 / 2
