Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Worship - Communion with God
Psalms. 42
“As the deer pants for the streams of water, So pants my soul for you O God.” ( V.1)
There is a story about a young man who went to the preacher searching for God. After much talk the preacher was not having any success, finally he thought and took that young man down to the river, grab him and put his head under the water, the young man began to squirm and try his best to come up for air but the preacher held him under, finally lifting his head up out of the water, The preacher asked, Son when you were under the water what did you want more than anything? The young man said Air, Air, and the preacher said Son when you want God as bad as you wanted air, you will find him.
David thirsted for God like a man in the desert searching for water. We need to thirst for God like a drowning man needs air. Thirsting for God will bring power to our life. Thirst for God is just like intimate worship. David seems to be our prime example of intimate worship,
What is intimate worship?- Mark 1:35 “ Very early in the morning , while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place. , where he prayed. Intimacy with God says ‘God you are my God and my life and I trust you’. Intimacy in worship is about the passion of our heart to feel His presence.
When we look at Psalms 42, We see that David had one focus, He had one desire, worshiping God. Everything in his life seemed to resolve around his desire to worship God. When we continue to read, it becomes painfully obvious that David was lonely, He felt separated from everyone. But he was determined not to let those things drag him down, His focus was certain, He was determined to worship God. He was so away from the temple, So away from the house of worship.  So how did David respond to his problem, Three ways he kept his focus on God, and worshiping him.
HUNGER FOR GOD BRINGS FOCUS TO LIFE: Somehow we wait for Sundays to come so we can worship God, but notice here David was not in the Temple. But he had a deep painful hunger to worship God. That is what genuine worship is.
MEMORY OF GOD LEADS A PERSON TO PRAYER: When we focus on God, our thoughts will always lead us to prayer. And when we pray our prayer reminds us that we can trust and know that Gods love is still there, and God reminds us that he is our true source of comfort.
HOPE IN GOD DISPELS DESPAIR: For David the result of focusing God is joy and hope. We worship God because we know that God is the only source of hope for our lives.
Psalms 42 which has been called a psalm of despair, But it is more than that, This despair we can overcome by putting our hope in God. How can we put our hope in God. By praising God (V. 5) it says “I will praise him, My savior my God”.
Prayer: Lord, help me to desire to know you God. To walk close beside you today. To know your grace, your love your power…Amen
Thought for the day: “Only Jesus, The living water, can satisfy the thirsty soul”.
Hebsee Marutholil, Bethany MTC, NY


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