I was out on my daily “prayer run” this morning and had a wonderful experience! Not 8 feet from me on the top of a fence post was a songbird (wish I would have had my camera along!) He completely ignored me, lifted his head to the heavens, opened his beak and sang a beautiful song of praise to his Maker!
Oh, it was beautiful and completely without restraint! I paused, and spoke these words to the Lord… “Oh may my worship of You be as unrestrained as this birds and as pleasing to Your ears as this birds worship has been to mine!”
“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre!
For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy!” (From Psalm 92:1–4 ESV)
I’m from Montana and am fortunate to have a cabin, along with my brother, just 10 miles from the entrance to Glacier National Park – “the Alps of America!” I love the mountains and hiking to beautiful spots. Few things are as uplifting to me as a vista point where the panorama of beautiful peaks, valleys, streams and lakes are spectacular! Well this morning I reached one of the incredible, spectacular vista points in the Bible – Ephesians 3:20-21!!!
I’ll quote it in a bit, but first let me take you on a journey – a hike, so to speak – until we reach that spectacular vista point…
First, we are “blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus” (1:3-14) Pretty spectacular in its own right! Then, our guide, Apostle Paul, pauses and prays that we’ll grasp everything that is ours “in Christ Jesus” … our hope, our inheritance (or His inheritance in us), and the immeasurable greatness of His power at work within us who believe (1:15-23).
Then on to the next spot on our spiritual journey… the wonderful transformation that God is working in us who are saved by His grace (2:1-11). And not just us personally but what He has done (and is doing) among all of us – Jew and Gentile – who are “in Christ!” We are no longer strangers and aliens, but fellow citizens with the saints and member of the household of God – actually growing into a holy temple in the Lord, a dwelling place for God by His Spirit!” (2:11-22)
The next spot on this journey… A “mystery” revealed! … Apostle Paul declares that “Gentiles” are “fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel!” Hey, all people – Jew and Gentile – are included in God’s wonderful plan and promises!!!
Now we’re getting close to the pinnacle – the vista point – where we’ll see it all!!! But first, our guide, Apostle Paul pauses and prays again… That we would be strengthened (empowered) within, that Christ would be “at home” in our hearts, that we would be established in and grasp God’s incredible, infinite love, and that we would be filled with all of God’s fullness!!! … Wow! Wonderful!!
Then, Paul steps to the peak! – the absolutely incredible vista point – and he explodes in worship with these words of assurance… “NOW TO HIM WHO IS ABLE TO DO FAR MORE ABUNDANTLY THAN ALL THAT WE CAN ASK OR THINK, ACCORDING TO THE POWER AT WORK WITHIN US – TO HIM BE GLORY IN THE CHURCH AND IN CHRIST JESUS THROUGHOUT ALL GENERATIONS FOREVER AND EVER! AMEN!”
Now I’ve seen some incredible sights in Glacier National Park – places that inspired me to worship God! But I would have to say, Ephesians 3:20-21 tops them all! Thank you, Apostle Paul for taking me on that journey! I’m glad I took the hike – the journey of following Jesus!
We love to hear the stories (the “testimonies”) of fellow “pilgrims” in the “faith-walk” we call the Christian life! They inspire and encourage us! We find ourselves uplifted, reinvigorated, instructed, and experiencing confident hope as we hear what God has done in and through the crises of their lives. This coming Sunday is Father’s day and I remember my dad, Ewalt W. Bartel, telling the story of how my mother almost died during the childbirth of one of my brothers and how my Dad “prayed through” and experienced the supernatural peace only Jesus can give. God miraculously spared her life!
Stories of God’s faithfulness… Stories of God’s steadfast love… Stories of His power… Stories of His provision… Stories of His protection… Stories of deliverance… Stories of His guidance and leadership… Stories! Stories!! Stories!!! The Bible is filled with great (and true) stories – but hang around some Christ followers awhile and you’ll hear some more stories that reinforce and expand on the ones in the Bible. Stories of God active in the lives and experiences of people TODAY!
Today during “coffee with the Lord” I read a Psalm jam-packed with stories like that! Psalm 107 – I call it the “testimony service” of the Old Testament! (It used to be, we’d have entire portions of church services dedicated to the stories of what God had done and was doing in our lives – we called them “Testimony services” – not a bad idea!) Although I don’t know the exact circumstances of all the stories in Psalm 107, while reading it over today, in my imagination it told the story…
of a homeless person who finally found a place he or she could call “home”;
of a rebellious youth whose bad choices almost destroyed their lives but they turned to the Lord and found deliverance;
of a drug addict that experienced freedom from bondage
of a sailor who almost perished in a storm but was miraculously rescued
The Psalmist opens the “testimony service” with these words…
“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so…”
Then each of the stories is told… each of the situations and stories I’ve referred to above. Oh how I love the repeated refrains… over and over the following words are repeated (four time – four different situations)…
“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress! … Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!”
Then the finale…
“Let them extol Him in the congregation of the people, and praise Him in the assembly of the elders… Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord!” (From Psalm 107 ESV)
