Psalm 100
“Shout out praises to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Worship the Lord with joy. Enter his presence with joyful singing. 3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God. He made us, and we belong to him; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give him thanks. Praise his name. 5 For the Lord is good. His loyal love endures, and he is faithful through all generations.”
As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, I was challenged, encouraged, and inspired. I began to think about the emphasis on, or lack of, gratitude and praise to God, as well as the lack of understanding of what genuine praise truly is.
Psalm 95:2, Psalm 100, and Psalm 103 all express a central element. “Come into God’s presence with gratitude, thankfulness, and adoration.” The benefits are amazing. But why is this important? Is God a narcissist or ego maniac who needs to be affirmed constantly? If He is, He is not the God of the Bible. So, why?
The reason is first our own minds and hearts.
- Without gratitude, we develop an entitlement mentality, and selfishness grows.
- Without adoration (expressed love), we turn inward and make ourselves the pinnacle (throne) of our lives.
As we focus on the person, power, and provision of God, we realize our frailty and His magnitude. We learn obedience and contentment and are able to live Spirit-directed lives!
In Acts, we have several examples of ‘Spirit-Directed Lives.’ Acts 8:26: Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian Eunuch. Philip obeyed, the eunuch was saved, and the gospel went to Ethiopia. Who knows the full impact of that obedience?
In Acts 9, we have both Ananias the centurion and Peter the apostle living in Spirit-directed obedience. Ananias sent for Peter, and Peter obeyed. He violated the Jewish traditional law. He broke the barriers of sectarianism and prejudice! As a result, the Gentiles received the gospel. (That opened the door for us.) Acts 10:34-48 reaffirms that truth.
Is there a common theme in living the Spirit-Directed Life? I believe, yes! The importance, the presence, and the operation of the Holy Spirit. How do you live a truly Spirit-Directed Life without the fullness of the Holy Spirit? One of the key elements in the expansion of the early church, as revealed in Acts 9:31, was the fear (reverential awe) of God AND the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.
Had Ananias not been obedient, Paul the apostle might have slipped through the cracks. Although I believe God would have used someone else or sovereignly worked His work, Ananias’ obedience resulted in the launching of an unequaled ministry in the New Testament.
We don’t know the full result of our one act of obedience! Living a Spirit-directed life could result in the release of another Paul, Billy Graham, Dwight L. Moody, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, or W.J. Seymour (Azusa Street). Maybe a Corrie ten Boom.
Heaven will reveal the extent. However, even if our obedience resulted only in the salvation of a Nameless person with no major impact, they are who Jesus died for! Their salvation causes jubilation in heaven.
But our Spirit-directed lives also bring a smile to God’s face. The Aaronic Blessing becomes a reality in our lives (Numbers 6:22-27). Our goal is to be filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit!
LORD, help us to realize that we Worship You, not Your Ego!
