Soul talk

When I walk the beach, I am reminded of God's greatness, his great love for us.  His design for us and his hopes for us.  I walk along and praise him for He is good and His mercy endures forever.  Along the shoreline were waves of these beautiful shells and they may all look alike to somebody but they are each unique and they have served a purpose in His kingdom. 

I see each shell as his handiwork, his architecture, his loveliness, and his creation.  Just as they are unique, we are too.  Each one of us, even if we have family members we don't or do look like, we are unique and so blessed.

His glory is in everything we see, it the sky, in the sea, in the wild, He is with me.  He created all that we see as nature.  The earth is His and everything in it.  In the Beginning God created Heaven and Earth.  In the Beginning, was Jesus, and the Word was with God.  Have you ever just wondered how all these shells end up on beaches all over the world?  There are tons of itty bitty sea creatures using these beautiful habitats for their homes.  If you watch closely on the beach when most people are not around, craps will find the shells.  Look at the power that it takes to knock these shells up to the shore.  The Power of God is always like this even in our own lives.  Sometimes the waves and the wind will knock us around, but when we are faithful to Him in obedience, we know He is with us, we will not be shaken.  Even if it feels like we can not stand, we really can. Sometimes it seems like we are taken to the depths of our strength, but we can still stand.  Call out to Him, Jesus, I need you!  He is right there, you may not see Him but he is right there.  What is your faith like?  Do you count on Him?  Or do you think you can do it all by yourself?  My heart and soul cry out, Jesus.  What I want the most, what my soul is longing for the most, is to worship Him with ALL that I am.  I love the way He loves me.  I love the way He has shown himself to me in all that my life has been.  I have been a God follower for over 30 years and I am more passionate about Him now than I was at the beginning, but oh the fire then was so amazing.  It might not have been if  you were on the other side of it but for me, whew!  Let that Fire fall again!  The church we were in, taught the Word, the Worship was not about us but about HIM.  That fire hasn't simmered in all these years, but it has found that not everyone is on FIRE for HIM.  A song that resonates with me is Set a Fire down in my soul.  It goes like this.  Set a fire down in my soul, that I can't contain and can't control.  I want more of you, I want more of you...

It repeats itself over and over.

So, when we go to the beach, these songs of worship come begging my mind to sing. 

The shells, the beauty of them, remind me that even when we get heaved and upped from the ocean of our own lives, He is still there.  Set your soul, mind and heart on fire for Him.

When Jesus prayed for himself, he also prayed for us.  Let's look at a few verses and pick them out.  Ready? 
John 17:11Amplified Bible (AMP)
¹¹ I am no longer in the world; yet they are still in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, so that they may be one just as We are.

John 17:22-23 says:
²² I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one, just as We are one; ²³ I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected and completed into one, so that the world may know [without any doubt] that You sent Me, and [that You] have loved them, just as You have loved Me.

 

So when we ask that we be set afire for HIM, it's already in us, we just have to set aside ourselves and go for it.  We are created for God's Triune Pleasure.  Can you wrap your head around that?  You were created for HIS oneness with you! 

Let go of yourself, all that reigns in you that is not of him, let it go, let it go...   

How should we praise Him and Worship HIM?  What does worship even mean?   We hear different things about what it means or where it is.  But it really is within ourselves to worship him.  Let me explain.

Worship is loving on the Lord.  Do you remember how you felt when you first fell in love?  What did that feel like?  That's what the Lord desires from us, that same loving feeling. 

Here's an example I use...
(Adore him) I love you Lord, I love that you love me, that you see beauty in the ashes.  You find goodness even when we see other.  You created the oceans and the mountains and they are beautiful.  You created heaven and earth and all that is in it.  You sent your son out of love for us, thank you.  I exalt you because you are all knowing and all powerful.  You are glorious and worthy.  You are magnificent, you are more than my life, you are more.  My soul longs for you, as a deer pants for the water, so my soul seeks after you.  You have prepared a table in the presence of my enemies and you are with me.  You step in when I am lost and alone, you are there in the times of rejoicing too.  You are in the sun and the clouds and one day you will be coming in the clouds.  You know the plans you have for me, I appreciate that greatly. 

(Now, thank him for what He has done for you).  Lord, thank you even when I am not content to being still, you remind me to be still and know that you are God alone.  Thank you for all of my children and grandchildren, for the food we have, the wheels under us and the roof over us.  For a place to park and for a car to go.  Thank you that our bills are paid every month with money you have helped us with.  Thank you for all that you do in my life.  Thank you that even when no one understands about the "more" factor, you do.  You want more of us and in this I want to serve you more. 

(Now Confess those things that don't line up with His will or Word).  Lord, sometimes my mouth gets out of hand, sometimes I am not obedient to you and your hopes for me.  Please forgive me for all that I have done that doesn't line up with you.  (List your own here)

The last one is Supplication!  What in the world does that mean?  Praying for others.  Pretty tough word for a pretty simple meaning don't you think?

(Now, we get to lift others up) Lord, Jesus, I ask you to be with our boys and our girls and their families, help them to teach your Word to their children so they might not sin against you.  Lord, we continue to pray for your plans for us because a man can plan his ways but You direct our steps.  Lord, we lift up those that are in some serious troubles, let them know that you are still with them. 

Even though God already knows our needs and our hearts desires, openly confessing them allows us to grow and watch him work in mighty ways.  Nothing is impossible with God, no nothing.  But by faith we continue to pray.   

 
If you don't know Him personally, please pray this, then get a Bible, NKJ is pretty good.  Lead your heart to Jesus, He is waiting.