How many of us know that meeting with God requires preparation? Preparation you say? What do you mean? Well, to put it this way, God is awesome and holy. I think that just barging into His presence is an affront. Take the nation of Israel for example, when they were to meet Him, God commanded them first to take two full days to prepare for His presence.
"Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people." Exodus 19:10-11.
Once the people were made ready, God spoke to them with thunder and lightning, with fire and smoke and the sound of loud trumpets. It was through this encounter that God revealed such marvelous truths as the Ten Commandments, establishing the standard by which we God expected His people to live.
Friends, I don't think that any of us can spend day after day in the world without having it affect out minds and our wills and our hearts. It does not become long for us to become disoriented to the ways of God. The world has a dulling effect on our spiritual sensibilities regardless of whether we are pastors, teachers, leaders, or followers, we are all susceptible. Our Lord established the Sabbath so His people could take an entire day to refocus on Him and His will for them after spending six days in the world.
So, how do we prepare for our times of worship? What things fill our minds the night before? Many times the last thing we put into our mind at night is still on our mind the next morning. Genuine worship requires spiritual preparation! Our experiences of worship reflect our spiritual preparation. We need to quite ourselves and empty our minds of the things that have transpired in our lives the last six days. The best way to do this is to meditate upon the Word of God. Not to study the Word, not at this time, but to fill our minds with His truth. We need to let His Word work its way into the very depths of our souls to cleanse us and "wash" us, to make us ready to meet our God. The next time you plan to attend worship, prepare yourself first to meet God, then see what God will say to you next.
May God Richly Bless You Today!! H Trent!
"Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people." Exodus 19:10-11.
Once the people were made ready, God spoke to them with thunder and lightning, with fire and smoke and the sound of loud trumpets. It was through this encounter that God revealed such marvelous truths as the Ten Commandments, establishing the standard by which we God expected His people to live.
Friends, I don't think that any of us can spend day after day in the world without having it affect out minds and our wills and our hearts. It does not become long for us to become disoriented to the ways of God. The world has a dulling effect on our spiritual sensibilities regardless of whether we are pastors, teachers, leaders, or followers, we are all susceptible. Our Lord established the Sabbath so His people could take an entire day to refocus on Him and His will for them after spending six days in the world.
So, how do we prepare for our times of worship? What things fill our minds the night before? Many times the last thing we put into our mind at night is still on our mind the next morning. Genuine worship requires spiritual preparation! Our experiences of worship reflect our spiritual preparation. We need to quite ourselves and empty our minds of the things that have transpired in our lives the last six days. The best way to do this is to meditate upon the Word of God. Not to study the Word, not at this time, but to fill our minds with His truth. We need to let His Word work its way into the very depths of our souls to cleanse us and "wash" us, to make us ready to meet our God. The next time you plan to attend worship, prepare yourself first to meet God, then see what God will say to you next.
May God Richly Bless You Today!! H Trent!
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