A Message From My Heart

Honest reflection is very healing.  I realized again that inadequacy is what I have to offer.  I have people in my life who love me and support me, and they are kind.  But when I really think about what I have to offer the Lord, I come before Him with my knees to the ground and my hands held out with meager talents and gifts, and tears in my eyes.  I want Him to use me, and all I can give is what He has given me. I have developed some of those skills and talents, but they are still meager.  Believe me, He is not using me because of my ability, but rather my availability.  It is nothing good in me.  I am honored to be used by God, to be on His team, but I am one of the "little guys", the one last picked on the dodge ball team, so to speak.  It reminds me of the song, "What can I give Him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb.  If I were a wise man, I would do my part, yet what can I give Him? Give Him my heart."

I have not much to give.  I consider myself a "passer."  I'm just passing along God's truth.  I am not a gold vessel, but a clay vessel passing along a rare and precious medicine that heals souls.  I asked the Lord to give me a verse, and Psalm 96 came to my mind.  As I opened my Bible, there was a bookmark there from our missionary to Russia, and this verse was staring me in the face: "To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house" Isaiah 42:7.  I looked at it and read it several times. Is that the message God wanted me to see?  We obey and we tell of God's wondrous works because He wants us to bring healing salve to the blinded eyes, a key to unlock the chains that bind sinful men, and light to illuminate the dark world.  

I still wanted to look up Psalm 96, and was so pleased at what I read.  It reminded me of Psalm 66:2 I read this morning: "Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious."  That is what we should be doing with our voices, singing forth the HONOR of God's name, respectfully, making His praise (not our own) glorious.  Our music should reflect Jesus'  honorable name and character.  Here's what Psalm 96  has to say, and it's one of the most beautiful passages of Scripture to me right now:

 O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth.

2 Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.

3 Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.

4 For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.

5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens.

6 Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7 Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.

8 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.

9 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

10 Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.

11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.

12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice

13 Before the Lord: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

God is going to judge the people with HIS truth, the truth from His holy Word, the Bible.  We need to proclaim that any way we can.  If we are going to be judged by it, we better know it!  And we are to worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness, with fear and reverence.  What kind of offering are we giving to Him?  Are we declaring His glory among the heathen, and his wonders among all people?  Are we giving unto the LORD the glory DUE UNTO HIS NAME?  It's due Him!  We owe that to Him, because He alone is worthy, no other god but the one true God alone; there is no other true God.  He will judge, He will reign, and let's be ready for that day. If we have our reservation for heaven all set, then let's be in the business of bringing more people before His presence so they can see His glory and choose (or reject) Him. They won't see Him if we are blocking His majesty.

I now can go to my events with new meaning and purpose. It's OK and actually good to realize how inadequate we are in and of ourselves. It's healing power. I will continue looking for opportunities to share what the Lord has given me, and win or lose on my part, all that matters in the end is that I brought glory to God, and did my part in declaring His majesty. That's what we are commissioned to do, and I have found a way to do it - through my writing of books and songs.  May GOD ALMIGHTY get ALL the glory due His name!  John 3:30: "He must increase, but I must decrease."  That is the heartbeat of my soul.