It's all for YOU!

My pastor just started a series on discipleship and it is already stirring things up in the spirit. You know, discipleship is one of those topics that steps on your toes and taps on your shoulder. Whenever you are challenged to face who you really are and your commitment to God, it can get tight quickly. So today as I was preparing for Rhema, I was worshiping and praying in the spirit and I heard a serious question. Who is it all for? I paused. What do you mean, Lord? Of course it’s all for you. And then you know, the follow up question came…is it really? You see, today, I want to do a little heart check. I want to bring things back into perspective and draw you away from the distractions of talent and position.

I was drawn to Psalm 63 when David was in the wilderness and He was telling God how he felt about Him. What I found was that David was also checking the body of Christ. Sure, you shouldn’t take things out of context in the Word. However, we recognize that the Word is living and it addressed people in 200 BC the same way it can in 2018. David said something that struck me. He said in verse 1, “My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.”(NLT) My spirit immediately rose up and said, God forgive me if I haven’t thirsted for you. Forgive me, if I have allowed the work of ministry to get in the way of giving my whole body in worship. When was the last time, you laid out before the Lord without care or concern of who was looking. When was the last time you released control and let your praise and worship spill out without looking at your watch? The world doesn’t have what you need but yet it gets all of your attention. Who is your time for? Who is your worship for? Who is your body for?

I went on down the chapter a little bit and in verse 5, David said, “You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy.” (NLT) As I am writing, I feel like some of you need to reach down and find your joy again. You need to know what it is to be so satisfied by God to such an extent that the job doesn’t matter, the surroundings don’t matter, the opinions of man don’t matter. Can you find your joy in Him alone? Can you sing for joy even if your circumstances don’t reflect it? Can you cry out hallelujah even if your heart has been broken? It’s time to deal with what really satisfies you? You see if it’s a person or a place and not God, you will never have enough. You will always be searching! But if you find your joy and your satisfaction in the true and living God that never forsakes and never leaves, you will have the answer. There will be no need to look any further. Who is your life for? Who is your service for?

The end of Psalm 63 seals the deal! David says, “But those plotting to destroy me will come to ruin. They will go down in to the depths of the earth. They will die by the sword and become the food of jackals. But the king will rejoice in God. All who swear to tell the truth will praise Him, while liars will be silenced.” (vs 9-11, NLT) When you put your trust and joy in the only One who can protect and cover you, your enemies have no place to go with their lies. Those that speak ill against you have no audience to tell your story. You see, the enemy often works in visuals. If he can make your circumstances look bleak, he can make you give up. If he can make your family look ruined, he can make you walk away. If he can make your life look lonely, he can make you isolate. If he can make your diagnosis look impossible, he can make you will yourself to death. BUT if you can do like David when he said, “I cling to You; Your strong right hand holds me securely.” (vs. 8, NLT) If you can make up in your mind that you will find yourself in the Lord and that everything you do is for Him, you will make it. You will overcome. You will WIN! It’s time to self-examine and tell the truth so that our answer will be…IT’S ALL FOR YOU, LORD!

Amen