January 2024
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits.
-Psalm 103:1-2
You and I were created by the Master Artist with purpose. We are not cosmic coincidence or astronomical accidents, but meticulously made in the very image of God. We were designed to delight our Maker and to share in the perfectly loving relationship of Father, Son, and Spirit. But we were not made to be robots; we were given free will. How indeed can love be real if it’s manufactured? As I always say to couples considering marriage: “love is a choice.” Unfortunately, we use our free will to indulge ourselves and we don’t always choose the right way: God’s way.
One of the most important things that weekly worship does for me and for most Christian believers is to REMIND us of those things we have discovered to be true about God and others. We need regular reminders of who God is and who we are and what it’s all about. We are busy people, and so often the matters of daily living and survival can cause us to miss the forest for the trees, so to speak. Weekly worship helps us to be still, step back, and assess our lives and remember our purpose.
One of the things I’ve come back to often this last year, and something I wish to keep before me in 2024, is the fact that I was made to please God and to be a gift to others. I need to get back to basics in life, and in the relationships that God has entrusted to me. I think about being a husband who will bless my wife; a father who will truly bless my children; a pastor that can bless God’s church. In each of these relationships, what would delight the Heavenly Father? For ultimately, if God is delighted, so shall our lives be richer and more in harmony with our holy Lord.
And so as the new year begins, I encourage you to remember daily that you were made to delight God and to delight IN God. Take some time to stop and simply BE and let God delight in you. That’s a form of prayer, you know. And then, think about all of the relationships that you have: in your family, in the community, etc. How might God bless those relationships that they better reflect the perfect relationship between Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit? Can you give of yourself more intentionally: intentionally listening and paying attention to those people in your life? And can you intentionally share the important things with them this year?
Oh, and please remind me of these things too. And let’s not give up the habit of weekly worship, yes? We don’t want to forget all his benefits. Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Matthew