Reading God’s Word In God’s Presence

Today’s Word of Encouragement from Wayne:

"The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, he will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green"

Psalm 92: 13-14

I would like to modify a statement I made yesterday, that I have been meditating upon. I wrote, "ministering to the Lord has been my most consistent, Christ-centering, joyful, thriving, flourishing, practice that I have ever been blessed to learn as a Christian." While this is so true, and such a blessing to express, I realize that the only reason I know about ministering to the Lord at all is because of the precious word of God. I do love the scriptures, and I must, even more than I love ministering to the Lord, for the scriptures have allowed me to come to God in repentance and receive this glorious new covenant salvation life and priesthood in Christ.

So I was thinking that actually these two beautiful heart-of-God- practices, being in God’s word and being a priest unto God, fit and flow wonderfully together and, in fact, best reflect Jesus’ Own words, "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4: 24). "Spirit and truth" are the foundation of our holy worship of God. Ministering to the Lord, "in spirit," while simultaneously extolling, studying and increasing in God’s word, "truth," really do comprise solid, Biblically founded and spiritually exercised, worship "in spirit and truth."

I love to read and reflect upon scripture while in a state of fellowship, ministering to the Lord with frequent praise, acknowledging and thanking Him for His presence. I encourage you to bring God’s word into His Own presence and read in this state of fellowship. Worship God and pray for a disciple’s enlightenment and then feast upon His word, Learning of and extolling Jesus in God’s presence. Certainly there are times when ministering to the Lord is all about worship, stillness, and unbroken adoration to the Lord. Sometimes it’s more prayer, yet "keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving" (Colossians 4:2). But I do very much love to read God’s word in His presence, as His priest, taking the scriptures to Jesus, our Logos, our true word of God (Revelation 19:13, John 5: 39-40) and seeing all things in the truth, spirit and light of God our Savior. Bless His holy name. He is all good. Hallelujah!