DAY IX

Bargaining with God

When i go on a shopping excursion, I love hunting for great deals. What girl doesnt love the adventure of finding the best clothing or the coolest decorations for the best price? I think it's part of our DNA as females.
No wonder it's easy at times for us females to approach God and try to bargain with Him. In our hearts, we know that He knows what's best for us, yet we tend to be concerned with what the whole "deal" looks like. Sometimes the fear of not knowing everything He has planned keeps us from giving our dreams to Him. We may not say these words, but we may be thinking them: God, Ill do this if You'll do this. I'll give you this if You'll give it back to me the way I want it. He's the Lord of the universe, yet sometimes we act as if we can manipulate Him!
It really all comes down to a matter of trust. God wants us to live fulfilled lives. He wants to shower us daily with His extravagant love. He is not withholding good things from us. He desires that we come to Him in obedience -- pure and simple. And if we do that, we will be free, and that's what He wants us to be. I can't think of a better deal anywhere.
The Old Testament wisdom books offer some great insight into this theme of accepting from God what He wants to give us rather than bargaining with Him. We may not always understand what God is up to in our lives, but we can be assured that He's all about what's good for us. (Eccl. 5:18-20) (Ps. 119:124-125)
Do you spend more time in prayer asking God for His guidance, attempting to bargain with Him, or simply coming to Him in obedience? Make a concerted effort in your prayer time today to leave the bargaining out, and willful obedience in.

~Rebecca St. James

DAY VIII

In Awe

I remember one Sunday we were singing worship songs in church and i looked up at my mum, who was standing beside me. I saw tears streaming down her cheeks. I asked her why she was crying, and she said there was nothing wrong -- she was just worshiping Jesus.
Although i didn't really understand it then, I see now why she was crying those tears of joy. I've since experienced worship like that and responded in the same way. There's something very extraordinary that happens when the body of Christ comes together corporately to give honor to God. We stand in awe of His character, His wonders, and His blessings in our lives. Sometimes the sheer power of that moves me to tears. My mum taught me to love Jesus, to stand in awe of Him, and express my praise. Worship is delighting in God, whether through music, words, or even tears.
To be in awe is to be overwhelmed by Gods majesty. David proclaimed, "Because of Your unfailing love, I can enter Your house; I will worship at Your Temple with deepest awe" (
Ps. 5:7, NLT ). The concept of being in awe seems to be lost today. We are in awe of practically nothing. In our culture we've overused the word awesome. In the Old Testament it originally referred to something that was "terrible" or "dreadful," something to be feared. It signified a holy reverence before God, because He is a devouring fire.
(Gen. 28:16-17) (Exodus 14:30-31) (1 Sam. 12:18) ( Matt. 9:8) (Luke 1:65; 5:26; 7:16)
When was the last time God did something really awesome in your life? What can you do to stand in awe of God, in the truly biblical sense of the word? He is worthy of your awe-inspired praise today.

~Rebecca St. James