The command to be happy...

Our church has a group called FAITH - a sort of visitation "class", where you learn different techniques of witnessing and sharing the gospel with others. I decided to participate in this class because I just felt drawn to it after hearing dad talk about it last year - and I have a hard time knowing exactly what to say to others in those situations, and I figure it's something we can all stand to get better at.

Anyway - the sort of "method" that we're going through starts out with the statement that God commands us to be happy, and the pamphlet quotes the verse

"Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."
- Psalm 37:10

Which happened to be the chapter in Psalm that I started reading tonight, so when I saw and recognized the verse, I realized how appropriate it is to how I've been feeling the past few days - and several other people have been as well it seems...

It's so easy to just hear sermons and do what you think you're supposed to be doing... but there's something different lately... there's a change that I feel like is happening in me... I'm doing these things and I'm wanting to do them, with a deep down desire to do them... I'm not quite sure how to explain it, because it's not like I didn't want to do the things I have already been doing... but maybe it's more that... I'm getting joy from doing those things and more that I haven't quite felt before...

So this verse really hit home tonight, because if you break it down into the two parts

"Delight thyself also in the Lord"

Too often, (in our "dead state" as Pastor Mike called it yesterday) people see living a Christian life as... difficult, and burdensome - it is very hard for we humans to do the right things. But like he said tonight, if Bill Gates called you up and offered you a million dollars - would you turn the money offer down saying "oh no, that would leave me obligated to thank him".

Why is it so easy for us to scoff and see that as ridiculous, when we have turned down God's offer of salvation and grace so many times because "it's too hard being obligated to thank Him by living right". God's gift to us is much more precious and undeserved by us than any amount of money in the world, and yet we find it so difficult to be "obligated to thank Him".

"and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart."

This one is also hard for us to understand - because when we look at our "desires", we too often see: money, wealth, fame/power, material things, and other things we take pleasure in here. But... when I manage to get away from those desires, at least for a little while... and start taking pleasure in the things of God... it's almost as if it is saying that He gives you... new desires

Just like the things I've been doing that I used to look at my parents doing and think - how can they stand giving up so much of their time? And now, I just feel blessed that God has given me the strength to do them... I sit and laugh with the people I used to be so scared would just sit in judgement of me if I attended church... I feel a connection with everyone and I want to share in everyone's experience when they get back on Monday nights... I want to visit with all of them to see how they approach our responsibility of sharing God's Word...

I'm glad that God commands us to be happy... and gives us the ability to truly be happy if we just search for it in conjunction with bringing glory to His name. There is no true happiness in glorifying ourselves - and it's funny how simple that all is when it happens, and how distant an idea it seems when we fall behind and start focusing on the wrong things again.

Hopefully I'm setting up reminders for myself here... and I keep praying that we will all just remember what we need to keep first and foremost in our minds and hearts... and learn to reach that happiness that living for His glory and honor only can bring.

"Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed."
-Psalm 37:10

Put me where you want me Lord

Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.
-Psalm 115:1


I don't even know how to start putting into words how blessed I've felt the past couple of weeks... but I want to put something down here, because I am just amazed at how God has just blessed my heart.

He has given me opportunities I never thought I would have... he's given me musical talents that I have always loved having, but there are no words to describe the feeling it is to have when you just lay yourself down and realize that you are just a vessel for Him to use to bless others. It's so easy to get nervous walking up there to play - worrying about how it sounds to everyone else - but when I sit back and watch and listen to everyone else and feel so blessed by the words and the music coming out at me... and to see people moved by the music God gives us.

I just sit in awe this morning right now, realizing how happy it makes me when get myself out of the way and just let God put me where he wants me -

Put me where you want me Lord
Where I belong
Lord help me stay in the center of thy Will
and when I reach the lowest valley I can climb the highest hill

It's so easy for me to get caught up in seeing the valleys I think are around me
And it's so easy to think you're just too busy to do the things for the Lord
I used to sit and watch my parents doing so many things at church, and rushing around to get things done, and wonder how they kept it up.
And last week was one of the busiest weeks I've had myself - practice, visitation, working with the children on Wednesday, and there were times when I got caught up in worrying whether I'd have time to get it all done

But yesterday I had some time alone before we played, after all the practicing and worrying about the details and rushing around all week - and I really heard the words of "Nothing Can Touch Me" - and none of those details mattered anymore - and everything I had done all week just turned right back around and caught my breath and something just grabbed me

It's so easy to look at it at things as our own achievements, or our own good deeds - oh I did this, I got involved in this, and this is what I did.
Good deeds are the fruits of salvation - but the real blessing that I've discovered in doing things for the Lord, is realizing that anything you do for Him is actually not of your own doing at all, and that it's only by His action upon us and from within us that accomplishes the things of His will.

Our good deeds and blessing others are simply the act of God's hand moving right through us, and when you feel him doing that with yourself, and see him doing that through others it's just like seeing the actual Hand of God right there in front of you...

When I got to sit down and listen to them last night, and when I was able to walk up there and play - and had prayed all day for God to help me keep in mind that it was all in His name and for His glory, and not to let frustration and nerves get in the way... I feel like we all felt His presence right in the middle of that church... and to feel how it just grabs you when He shows up... to see the tears well up in their eyes on stage... when one of us really hears those words we've been practicing over and over... and the mercy and power and grace of God is really understood and felt in a tangible and present way - it all happened last night, but it hit me again this morning, and throughout the day... it's just a feeling of wonder and awe and gratefulness for His power and all he blesses us with. I have been truly blessed with the opportunities He has provided and led me to - and I want to keep this feeling of thankfulness and wonder fresh... so when I forget and get caught up in what problems I think I have - I can remember how truly blessed I am.

I think that Nikki said it best last night with the happiest smile after the singing was over, so I'll sum this up with that and hope she doesn't mind my sharing:
"I feel like I just wanna be saved all over again after a night like this"

Thank you Lord for your blessings on me.
Help me to continue to see them and not get caught up in the problems this world gives us.

Put me where you want me
Where I belong

Thank you for letting me feel like I belong to you.