Magnify!

“Magnify the LORD!” they said, 
“Exalt his name together!” 
“Which name?” I asked, 
to understand this better. 
‘He has a great collection
all explaining his perfection!”
And “magnify?” Can I make letters
bigger, clearer, bright and legible?

I stretch out the arms of my soul
holding a magnifying glass,
straining to understand
the many pieces of the whole:
the essence of the Trinity,
gracious love, infinity,
delightful creativity 
that’s building a new world
where all will be made right.

Come join me in this song!
Let’s project what we have found!
May it leap into the sky
like fireworks shooting high,
reverberating sound
that cannot be ignored!
This is God, the LORD, 
whose name denotes “forever”,
the great I AM, our Yahweh,
beloved and adored!

My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.

Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! (Ps. 34:2,3 ESV)

Isn’t it reassuring to know that boasting can actually be a really good thing? It depends on what you are boasting about, personal accomplishments or those of the Most High God, the LORD. It is the humble, those who are not proud, who want to honor him rather than themselves. And those who hear the boasting and are thrilled with it are those who need encouragement: the oppressed, the afflicted, those who cannot help themselves (often translated “humble,” as in ESV). This whole verse contrasts self-focused conceited people with those who are deflecting praise to the one who deserves it, the LORD.

And then we hear that invitation to “magnify the LORD” with the psalmist! The first meaning of the word “magnify,” according to Merriam-Webster, is this: “To magnify means to make something appear larger than it is—such as through a lens—or to make an actual situation seem more important or intense.” Applying that use of the verb to how we talk about God is ridiculous—we cannot make him appear greater than he actually is. In fact, we wrestle with honoring him as we should, running out of words, unable to do it well. Applied to God in this spiritual sense,  “magnify” is “archaic” according to the same dictionary: “Archaic: To formally praise, glorify, or extol (e.g., “to magnify the Lord”).”

That is why some newer, less literal translations try to make this more relevant to our times:

Proclaim Yahweh’s greatness with me; let us exalt His name together. (Ps. 34:3 CSB)

Come, let us tell of the LORD’s greatness; let us exalt his name together. (Ps. 34:3 NLT)

Thinking this through, when we gladly laud God for what he has done for us, our “boast” is recognition of the person who actually accomplished that rescue or provision—not us, but the LORD himself. Our humble souls are deeply grateful, and so are those who hear the news. It brings joy!

And when we invite others to join us in the praise with the call to “magnify” the LORD, we are proclaiming his greatness, the attributes that he is demonstrating for us in what he has done and is doing. We are expressing our worship of the Almighty, detailing what he has shown us about who he is! In that way, we are clarifying who he is, kind of like the way a magnifying glass helps us to see small print.

That leads us to the next urgent invite or command: “let us exalt his name together!” In other words, we lift up to the attention of others the glory of his name and its extreme importance. One problem is that our translations have covered up which “name” is being underlined as worthy of this exaltation. Whenever they capitalize LORD, the name behind it is Yahweh.

Why do they not use the name that is in the original Hebrew text?  For a clear historical explanation, go here: https://bibleproject.com/articles/god-name-many-actually/ . In Hebrew it was YHWH, and in the 3rd or 2nd century the Jews began to cover it up with their word for “Lord”, adonai, out of reverence for its holiness and so as not to slip and irreverently use God’s actual name. The word “God” is not his name, but rather the word for a divinity, THE Divinity for us. In Old Testament times (and around the world today) many “gods” were worshiped. Those who believed in the Most High God used it specifically for him, and he received many other names to describe his character and sovereignty.

The name YHWH, probably pronounced Yahweh[1], is his true name, the one that he shared with Moses at the burning bush:

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.'” (Exod. 3:14 ESV)

This name refers to his eternal being: HE WAS, HE IS, HE WILL BE.  Always! The Alpha and Omega!

Praising and honoring him do not make God greater, but these practices are part of true worship that spreads the good news about who Yahweh is. And the commands to “magnify” or “proclaim” his character and identity should incite us to truly do so with all that is in us! This can definitely lead others to understand more clearly God’s character.

[1] If you would like to know why “Jehovah” is not the recommended reading of the name, see https://www.logos.com/grow/nerd-jehovah-in-bible/ .

Morning Praise






As I wake up to morning— 





to the last bat ping, 





first bird song, 





paling of the sky— 





let my heart wake up to you, 





open wide to take in light, 





listening for the welcome 





in your voice and then 





breaking into praise! 





Is praise the first impulse that sunrise and a new morning brings to you? I often find my mind preoccupied with remembering 1) what day this is and 2)what is on my to-do list. But joy comes when I turn my heart to praise the One who made this day. Yesterday may have been full of challenges. But if I remind myself that God got me through that (maybe I even saw him intervene in a particular way as a result of my prayers), then when I lift my heart to thank him for that relief and  forthis dawn I feel my apathy and apprehension dissove.





I sing in the choir at GraceWay Bible Church, and a song that we came back to this past Sunday is one based on Psalm 34. During practice and during the service it brought calm to my swirling concerns—I could sweep them away and focus on all God means to me and has done for me. This  Sunday praise is now leading me to contemplate what “praise” actually includes depending on the context and the Hebrew word used in the original text.





In Psalm 34,  where it says “I will bless the Lord” the Hebrew phrase is (ʾaḇārēḵ YHWH)[1]:





I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. (Ps. 34:1 ESV)





I will praise the LORD at all times; my mouth will continually praise him. (Ps. 34:1 NET)





Many English versions translate this as “bless.” You can see in the New English Translation above it is “I will praise the LORD”! I always wondered how I, a human, can possibly “bless” Yahweh, the Sovereign Lord. I know that he has blessed me! So I’ve looked up the background to this phrase.





It turns out that the first praise word in that psalm, ḇārēḵ, means “knee” when it is a noun. When I looked up its meaning as a verb, I found that depending on the context it can mean “to kneel down,” a position of worship, or as in Psalm 34.1, to praise him, to thank him for what he has done. The way this Psalm begins shows that this sense of gratitude definitely is included:





Written by David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, causing the king to send him away. (Psalm 34.1 NET)[1]





David was humbly vowing to not forget to thank God in reverence for saving his life: he would never stop praising him, but would do it “at all times,” meaning all the time, always.  Even when times continue to be hard, we are to be thankful for God’s presence , what we have seen him do in the past and his promises. We are urged to do this in the New Testament too:





. . .give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thess. 5:18 NIV)





David underlined  that he would be singing a praise song constantly (it would be “on his mouth/lips”). The second word in the sentence evoking praise is תְּהִלָּה a “song of praise”. That word is used in the introduction to Psalm 145:





Song of Praise. Of David. I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. (Ps. 145:1 ESV)





Here it introduces the musical term for the psalm, then the word “bless/praise” comes after the part that emphasizes giving honor to the Sovereign God, extolling him.





So what does all this communicate to us? I am struck by the example of reverently thanking God for who he is and what he has done, and letting my heart sing!  So here is a way to put it into practice;





Following David’s example, when you rise in the morning and notice the blessing of a new day, you can thank him for all that you can bring to mind: creation, health, or what he has done in your life to bring you to this point. Bow your body or your heart to him and launch a moment of praise. Recognize the self-control that he gave you in a tense situation, or the access to medical care that you had when you really needed it—whatever you have experienced. Then think of a praise song if you can! Here is one that hails from my youth:





“This is the day, this is the day that the LORD has made, that the LORD has made,





I will rejoice and be glad in it, and be glad in it . . .”  (cf.Psalm 118.24)





When I leave the house for my morning walk, if I look at the lacy silhouette of tree leaves against the sky (whether it is gray with clouds or pearly clear blue) and notice the birds or flowers, then I can add thanks to him for his creativity. When my phone rings and the voice on the other end is my daughter who lives far away, I rejoice that we have this modern-day connection, a gift from God. There are so many reasons to “bless” Yahweh, to acknowledge his ongoing involvement in our lives and to sing to him!   Let’s do it! Let’s sing that well-known song that was my younger sister’s theme as she wrestled with leukemia and then joined her Lord, “Ten Thousand Reasons”:[2]





Chorus Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul, worship His holy Name. Sing like never before, O my soul. I’ll worship Your holy Name.





Verse 1 The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning; It’s time to sing Your song again. Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me, Let me be singing when the evening comes. (Chorus )





 Verse 2 You’re rich in love and You’re slow to anger, Your Name is great and Your heart is kind; For all Your goodness I will keep on singing, Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find. (Chorus)





Verse 3 And on that day when my strength is failing, The end draws near and my time has come; Still my soul sings Your praise unending, Ten thousand years and then forevermore.





Chorus Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul, worship His holy Name. Sing like never before, O my soul. I’ll worship Your holy Name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul, worship His holy Name. Sing like never before, O my soul. I’ll worship Your holy Name.










[1] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2005), Ps 34:title.





[2] Matt Redman and Jonas Myrin






	


	





	

		
Cloudy Sunrise
	


	
	

		






Sunbeams gleam across the field 
as the invisible orb rises, 
traced only by the way 
the clouded sky goes luminous, 
unable to completely mask the light. 

The grasses glow, lit by the current 
and transformed to green lampposts, 
arms lifted in silent praise. 
A breeze blows through, dancing them, 
unable to hold back from joining the joy. 


This morning I saw this happen in a different venue—I was no longer in my courtyard in Ferke, Côte d’Ivoire, where this poem sang itself onto paper. Now I am in the city of Detroit, with my third-floor “Skyhouse” window looking east. There were gray clouds hovering over the horizon. As the sun rose behind them, the edges of their dark shapes became gilded. Then suddenly rays of light were streaking into the gray and dawn became visible!





This reminds me of what it is like when the Light that is Jesus breaks through sorrow, anxiety or cultural barriers to bring hope. Have you seen that happen? When his Light shines on his people they reflect that light, like the arms of green grass that seemed like lampposts that morning. The actual light source may seem invisible but it still has impact through the objects on which it is shining.





At least that is what we Jesus followers are supposed to be like. Jesus himself said to his followers:





“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. (Matt. 5:14-16 CSB)





We are not to cover up the Light that has come to give us life! When Jesus was comforting the woman caught in adultery, whose male accusers had left one by one after Jesus confronted them with their own sins, he said this to her and everyone else listening:





12 Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”  (Jn. 8:12 CSB)





Even that sinful woman could have that light if she turned from her wandering to follow Jesus! So those of us walking with him always have his light of life with us, even if the world around us is full of chaos and darkness. He lights up the path before us so that we know where to go and are protected from stumbling. This was a theme that Jesus kept bringing up. When his friend Lazarus was dying, and Jesus delayed going to heal him, he knew that he was going to reveal his own life-giving power. And the “night” that includes death would be lit up by his light:





Jesus answered. “If anyone walks during the day, he doesn’t stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 If anyone walks during the night, he does stumble, because the light is not in him.”  (Jn. 11:9-10 CSB)





Death does not rule us, Jesus does. When we are walking with him, we know that his light is with us all the way, through days of health and days of sickness, through peace or war or other danger. If we keep ourselves filled with his light, heart-eyes fixed on him, we are walking in the light.





That should make us stand out like the leaves of grass or city rooftops lit up when the sun rises. His light is in us, and this transforms us so that we become “the light of the world”! What does this mean? Jesus said not to hide this light that comes from him, but to show it “through your good deeds.”  This does not mean that we should boast about the ways he has used us, elevating our own goodness. Instead we are to share what will bring honor to our Father in heaven! All praise goes to him! We are to point out his fingerprints in each situation where we are led to help someone in distress, or to meet a need, or to love someone hard to love. These “good deeds” do not elevate us. Instead, they show the way the Lord works through his loved ones to shine his light on others. We are to find the appropriate avenues to be sure that he is honored.





There are thousands of blades of grass in a field. When they are all lit up togther, there is startling bright green that glitters and lifts each one toward the sky. When we work together in company with others who are shining Jesus’ light, we become like bright neon lights pointing Up. And in a bare space with just a little hand of grass sprouting, when we are in a dark place with little hope around, then that light is a beacon of hope to those who see it. Either way, we are only “the light of the world” when we are walking in the light, his light filling us and reflecting off us. Let’s shine!






	


	





	

		
Sensing God
	


	
	

		






We worship in a cloud, unfocused 
though we strain to see and feel 
yet worship what we know 
within unknowing, all our senses 
clamoring for the Real: 

-- the One who touches hearts 
with joy, whose fingers reach to heal 
the blinded eyes, deaf ears; 
who feels our hurts because he hurt 
as human-Godson, heart and soul. 

-- the One who sees me,
eyes alert to know and care for me,
penetrating always to the core,
not fooled by the hypocrisy
I put on like a suit, looking good.

-- the One who hears me,
bending down to listen to my ramblings,
sorting out the whimpers from the whines
and hearing what the heart
most surely needs for health.

-- the One who smells 
the fragrance of my praise, and blends it 
with the songs of angels to concoct
aromas that unfurl in galaxies
and waken dances in the stars.

-- the One who made 
the amber sweet of honey, salt’s allure,
hid cinnamon and coffee in the plants 
along with things like pepper’s hot surprise, 
and calls to me to taste his treats.

He is the God of all the senses,
never numb to what is happening
to his own.  I pray.  He comes,
he hears, he speaks, he enters me
and holds me in his never-ending love!1  





We cannot see him, but we believe—so we are blessed! He often appeared hidden in a cloud, throughout Scripture, and we may feel that a cloud continues to bar us from a true understanding of our God. But we are blessed! Yes, in John 20:29 Jesus’ own words are preserved to give us this hope, some of his last words to his disciples after his resurrection:





Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (Jn. 20:26-31 ESV)





Having life in the name of Jesus is a gift that will last forever, and some day believers will all see him face to face. But how about now? The wonderful truth is that his Spirit lives in us, maintaining an intimate relationship and communication with God. We have to learn to notice his Presence, using the spiritual capacities he has renewed within us.





He is the Creator who made us with five senses. The use of our senses to know him has been urged even before we were given this precious advantage through the Spirit:





Taste and see that the LORD is good! How blessed is the one who takes shelter in him! (Ps. 34:8 NET)





Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! . . . Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. 3 Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. (Isa. 55:1-3 NIV)





Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. (Ps. 73:23 NIV)





He also treasures fragrance. He underlined that it delighted him when his people brought offerings in recognition of his holiness and reception of their worship (11 times in Leviticus and 18 times in Numbers): they were a “pleasing aroma” to him. Then he assured that even his own people who turn back to him have that kind of fragrance:





As a pleasing aroma I will accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered. And I will manifest my holiness among you in the sight of the nations. (Ezek. 20:41 ESV)





We are made in God’s image, which includes our senses; he communicates with us through them. Even when we struggle to listen, see, smell, taste, and feel him, he is right here, right with us.  He is enjoying the efforts of his loved ones to pay attention to his touch, his words, his actions—his very essence. He feeds us with nourishment that builds us up and strengthens us for the challenges of life. And he notices and receives our humble attempts to respond with every facet of our being:





Praise the LORD, O my soul! With all that is within me, praise his holy name! (Ps. 103:1 NET)





He made us and knows us completely, intimately. He loves us. He lives in us! He has given us his Word that instructs us, teaches us, and his Spirit as constant Counselor. Even though we cannot see him physically, we can see his hand at work to accomplish his purposes. We can feel his comfort and the joy of true worship. Yes, we “worship what we know





within unknowing, all our senses clamoring for the Real”—and every effort we make to enter into yet deeper worship leads to greater understanding of the wonder of knowing him even now! We worship as though in a cloud but there is the Light of the World shining through!





He is the God of all the senses,
never numb to what is happening
to his own.  I pray.  He comes,
he hears, he speaks, he enters me
and holds me in his never-ending love!





1Linnea Boese, When He Whispers: Learning to Listen on the Journey. You can find my book of poetry on the discipline of listening at the following marketplaces:





Direct from the publisher, WestBow Press: https://www.westbowpress.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/824658-when-he-whispers





Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/When-He-Whispers-Learning-Journey/dp/1664224106/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=when+he+whispers+learning+to+listen+on+the+journey&link_code=qs&qid=1620606002&sourceid=Mozilla-search&sr=8-1






	


	





	

		
I Need to Breathe
	


	
	

		






Like the geese hopping through dead grass 
looking for treasure, my thoughts skip about, 
grabbing a seed thought here and there, 
pausing occasionally to ponder or wander. 
I am Abba’s daughter, loved, chosen. 
I need to sit still and rest, listening. 
I feel his Presence, know He is here. 
May I wait in silent expectation 
for what he wants me to hear!

“Worship!” That theme keeps creeping in.
You fill the universe, you fill my heart. 
It’s a start, this time apart—time to let go
of the nagging ebb and flow of worries,
banish them like the frozen shafts of water
that melt away as river waves propel them 
out of sight, out of mind. I am present 
in this sacred moment. It’s where I need to be,
not breathing future tense and tension.
Yes, the past has passed. What’s new will too.

Silent now, head laid against your chest,
your love gently saturates the air, 
doing what’s essential to prepare
my lungs for what is coming next:
polluted air, everywhere.
Your love is coating, protection,
a strong shield against those darts
that always seem to strike my heart. 
Halt! I don’t want to think about that!
Right now I only need to breathe
the glory of your Presence!





Can you relate? Bowing my heart (not just my head) in the Presence of God is what I long to do with sincere focus. Yet I often find that distractions interrupt my attempt to worship. Some of them are anxieties about what is around the corner, other times they are grief about what just happened or was said in a conversation. This poem was written in a protected time and space: a winter drive out to a river in Belle Isle, Michigan, and although I longed to just worship, concentration required admission of my inadequate attention to the Person I was meeting.





Worship is not performing rituals without heart involvement. It is not merely speaking certain words, going to church (called a “place of worship”) just to sing and listen. True worship consists of complete devotion to God:





“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God– this is your true and proper worship. (Rom. 12:1 NIV)





We are human beings with bodies, minds, souls and spirits. When we give our bodies to God he comes to live in us, and we become united with him, living in him (John 15). It is a love relationship, one that involves every part of us and incites us to live all for him.





Paul’s urge to dedicate our bodies to God comes right after the moment when Paul was contemplating the richness of God’s mercy in reaching beyond his chosen people, the Jews, to also include people of other nations who turn to him:





33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?” 36 For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.  (Rom. 11:33-36 NIV)





That is an example of true worship: praise, adoration of his character and infinite being, humility when thinking about his amazing grace in creating the world and inviting us to be his people when there is no way that we deserve it.





So how can we cultivate worship like that? It is so much more than reciting words or performing rote movements. Jesus quoted this message that was given to Isaiah about that kind of fake worship,when he explained to his disciples that the Pharisees were not truly worshiping God (cf Mat 15:8):





13 The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.  (Isa. 29:13 NIV)





What Jesus told the woman at the well is that God desires true, pure worship that comes from real spiritual connection with him.





23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”  (Jn. 4:23,24 ESV)





Oh wow ! God is looking for people who will worship him like that! It is his desire to be linked spiritually with us, bringing us into such intimate relationship with him that worship is a natural outcome. A.W. Tozer explains it so well:





“God desires to take us deeper into Himself. We will have much to learn in the school of the Spirit. He wants to lead us on in our love for Him who first loved us. He wants to cultivate within us the adoration and admiration of which He is worthy. He wants to reveal to each of us the blessed element of spiritual fascination in true worship. He wants to teach us the wonder of being filled with moral excitement in our worship, entranced with the knowledge of who God is. He wants us to be astonished at the inconceivable elevation and magnitude and splendor of Almighty God! There can be no human substitute for this kind of worship and for this kind of Spirit-given response to the God who is our Creator and Redeemer and Lord.[1]”





The worship we desire to learn to practice comes from increasing awareness of who God is, what he has done and what he is doing now. It sweeps out of our minds the distractions of worry as we realize how great he is, how good he is, how loving he is. His patience with us is great mercy as he walks with us on this journey of learning to worship the invisible God who is in us and everywhere. Our spirits need to know truth, both from Scripture and the training of being his disciple, and we must gear our minds to contemplate that truth as we tune our entire spirits to his Spirit, who is right here in us and with us. More from Tozer:





“There is the point of reality where we begin our fellowship and friendship and communion with God. But where we stop no man has yet discovered, for there is in the mysterious depths for the triune God neither limit nor end. When we come into this sweet relationship, we are beginning to learn astonished reverence, breathless adoration, awesome fascination, lofty admiration of the attributes of God and something of the breathless silence that we know when God is near.[2]”





We need to find protected space and time to practice this kind of worship. Yes, we need to breathe his air in “breathless silence” as we turn our whole being to commune with him. May it be so!










[1] Tozer, A W. Worship: The Reason We Were Created-Collected Insights from A. W. Tozer (p. 46). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.





[2] Ibid., p. 49.






	


	





	

		
Worship in my Offering
	


	
	

		






He makes his home in me.
And I, I live inside
the house of love,
his banner flapping bright above,
his pleasure my desire.

I bring him blooms to grace
the place he sets for me
(no matter that, outdoors,
corruption slimes the world
and evil lurks in gray).

I will not fear. For he is here,
my God, and where he is
we live in love. He who made
the violets and hibiscus
for his delight and mine

smells the worship in my offering
and smiles. Together we
will garrison my strength
against the storm
here where it’s warm.





When I take my morning walk here in Detroit, my heart erupts in praise to the Creator when I see irises or tulips. Back in my Ferke courtyard, the blooming hibiscus, frangi pani and wild violets had the same impact. God’s gift of beauty in a dry land brought joy to my soul and awe at his imagination. What an incredible variety of flowers he thought of! When I thanked him, I realized I was worshiping his artistic bent, his love of beauty. I was walking with him in his garden.





I drafted this poem just one month before war broke out in Côte d’Ivoire. Looking back, I am amazed that it flowed from my pen, preparing me for the upcoming season of fear and anxiety. The Lord was telling me where my stability must be anchored: in him! When he lives in us, that inner home is built on the Rock and stands firm in the storm (cf. Mat 7:24,25), even when other (visible) homes become inaccessible.





In times of distress it becomes easy to slip into prayer that is filled with lament and petition; they are truly acceptable to our loving God. We  were evacuated, and we gave heartfelt thanks for our rescue and the way the Lord supplied what we needed. However it became easy to lose a focus on worship as we tried to navigate all the uncertainty.





I have learned that true worship grows stronger and stronger on the journey of knowing and loving God. Knowing about him is great, but truly knowing him requires personal relationship, living life in his company.  It starts with being reborn to life in him. Then he gives us his Spirit to live in us and show us the way forward. And, as A.W. Tozer said, that fellowship with the Triune God grows our character so that we can become increasingly like him, living in line with his priorities and commands:





“If God has called you out of darkness into His light, you should be worshiping Him. If He has shown you that you are to show forth the excellencies, the virtues, the beauties of the Lord who has called you, then you should be humbly and gladly worshiping Him with the radiance and the blessing of the Holy Spirit in your life.”[1]





Learning about God through the Scriptures is definitely essential (for those of us who have access to them in our language!). But this must become more than just knowledge of facts.





“If [knowledge] remains purely conceptual, it is fragmentary. If must continue to do its inward work until it transforms Christ-followers according to the image of Christ and reshapes Christian communities. . . This leads us to passionate love for God, genuine worship of the Trinity, true community with fellow Christians, and loving service . . . all to the glory of God. That is what it means to know and love the true and living God. Absolutely nothing matters more.”[2]

It does matter to God whether we learn to truly love and worship him! Yes—he is looking for people who will do this, citizens of his Kingdom who delight in him. As he told the Samaritan woman at the well:





23 But a time is coming– and now is here– when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers. 24 God is spirit, and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”  (Jn. 4:1 NET)





We cannot see God, while in his Kingdom here on earth, but we can interact with him through his Spirit and the truth that he shares with us. What a journey! It delights the Father, and brings true delight to us. It is not a show, not a performance. It is deep ongoing spiritual formation.





I plan to delve into this training in the coming weeks, focusing my own heart increasingly on “loving the LORD [my] God with all [my] heart and with all [my] soul and with all [my] might. (Deut. 6:5 ESV). Join me on the journey!










[1] Tozer, A W. Worship: The Reason We Were Created-Collected Insights from A. W. Tozer (p. 28). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.





[2] Clark, David C. To Know and Love God: Method for Theology. (Crossway Books, 2003) 424.






	


	





	

		
To Know the King!
	


	
	

		






(Photo by Daniel Reche, pexels)





To know you is to know the King! 
To love you is to learn to sing 
the praise song that will never end! 
You’ve called me daughter, servant, friend! 
I’ve longed to find you, so I ran 
this strong pursuit—into your hand! 
Holy One, you draw me in, 
and clean me up from wandering, sin. 
You pour love into my thirsty soul 
and live there, making the broken whole. 

You have a priority: unity,
the bond of eternal community.
Together we walk this rugged slope
holding hands, eyes on the hope
that lies ahead: my forever home,
where I’ll join the saints around your throne.
To love you is to open a door
that shows me nothing matters more
than to be all yours, following through,
completing what you tell me to do.





When I was a young teen at Ivory Coast Academy, our mission’s boarding school, I was going through a phase of intense spiritual hunger. It had been encouraged by my dorm parents, Don and Glenna Bigelow, during my eighth-grade year through rich Bible devotions each evening. I became convinced that I was spending too much of my time reading every novel I could get hold of (bookworm that I was), so tried something new: I checked out Christian books about spiritual growth.





The one that truly fueled my journey was The Pursuit of God, by A.W. Tozer. I’ve read it at least two other times in my life as well. What intrigued me was Tozer’s clear teaching that we have an important part to play in maturing spiritually: we must actually chase after knowing God! He wrote: “The impulse to pursue God originates with God, but the outworking of that impulse is our following hard after him.”[1]





If we need examples of what it means to literally run after knowing God, they are easy to find in the psalms. The longing to experience his presence may become especially strong when we go through hard times, waiting for a way out of grief or suffering:





A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah. You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. 5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. 6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. 7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. 8 I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.  (Ps. 63:1-7 NIV)





David was desperate (“perhaps this refers to the period described in 1 Sam 23–24 or to the incident mentioned in 2 Sam 15:23.”)[2] Nevertheless he was seeking God with everything that was in him, citing him as his only hope. And even this search was turning his heart to praise as he remembered other times when he had experienced God.





I love the way Tozer explains this kind of longing and pursuit that is laced with such comfort:





“To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul’s paradox of love, scorned indeed by the too-easily-satisfied religionist, but justified in happy experience by the children of the burning heart.”[3]





The “children of the burning heart”! Does this resonate with you? Our part in this paradox is to love our God and seek him with passion. He promises that then we will move into intensely intimate relationship:





You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jer. 29:13 NIV)





Paul was an example of what this means when this burning desire is lived out:





8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  . . . 10 I want to know Christ– yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. (Phil. 3:8,10-12 NIV)





Nothing is worth as much as knowing Jesus! It requires pressing forward, every moment set apart for him. We English speakers have access to the Word, and truly digesting it is an essential element—but not sufficient by itself. We must live it out, obeying what the Lord underlines for us there and in our experiences. Remember the way Jesus told his disciples, and us, what we must do to be able to live in loving relationship with him:





10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.  (Jn. 15:10 NIV)





The key to remaining in this love relationship with our Lord is to do what he says, to complete what he gives us to do. Then we will remain firmly attached to him, getting to know him better and better as we experience his love and direction.





So let’s press on, responding to his invitation and promise that we will indeed find him personally when we pursue him with all that is within us! There is nothing worth more than knowing him—even when it requires suffering. Yes, we can almost run out of breath when we run with all our might, physically. But he will reach out to us and help us run straight into his loving heart, showing us increasingly who he is. He will satisfy our hunger for him with the “richest of foods” (Ps 63.5)—spiritual sustenance beyond anything earth can offer!










[1] A.W.Tozer, The Pursuit of God, (Christian Publications,1993), 11.





[2] NET study note, Ps. 63.1.





[3] Tozer, 14.

	


	





	

		
This Love Libation
	


	
	

		








I say, “I love you, Lord!” 
And in a minute or two 
I run out of words   
to tell you why. 
But I must try, 
reminding myself of all 
you do for me every day, 
because you love me! 

Millions of people
alive right now
are also your treasure.
And yet you listen
when I ramble,
when I scramble
to beg you to give me
this or that, and
when my mind wanders
you turn my face back
to focus on you,
on what is true:

that you actually died
so that I could be yours!
that you are alive,
and guide me each day!
that you know my failings
and you forgive me 
when I repent and turn around,
that you feed me spiritual food
when I hunger, come what may.

Because you are love itself,
because you never sleep,
never stop counting
the hairs of my head,
always nudge me to notice
what you have prepared
for me to do, for me to say
so that your world
can notice you, feel you,
have one more sorrow healed!





When the Tiepogovogo honey was harvested, a sweet taste test was offered to the congregation. What delight when it was poured into your cup and then into your mouth!  It was going to be sold, to help church projects. This was like a sacrifice to show everyone what a rich blessing was in store. It makes me contemplate the precious love gifts that strengthen relationships, gifts of words and actions that are poured out for each other.





Have you heard of a “libation?” If you were raised listening to the classic English Bible translation, the King James Version, you would have. It is now called a “drink offering,” a liquid that is poured out over a sacrifice for atonement that was to be offered twice a day under the Old Testament law “for a soothing aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD” (Exod. 29:41 NET). A lamb was slain and placed on the altar first, along with a grain offering and then the libation: it consecrated the altar as well as speaking devotion to Yahweh.





Once Jesus gave himself as a sacrifice for us to atone for our sins, like that lamb that was sacrificed but with so much more significance, we were ransomed and can enter a new life full of hope:





You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed– not by perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but by precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ. (1 Pet. 1:18 NET)





This ultimate once-for-all sacrifice allows us personal access to a new life, cleansed and adopted into the Family of God! Now we are to live out that new status of being consecrated to our Lord (set apart for him). As Paul expressed with passion, this means that we are to make it our all-consuming goal to truly know him:





8 More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things– indeed, I regard them as dung!– that I may gain Christ, 9 and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness– a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness. 10 My aim is to know him . . . (Phil. 3:8-10a NET)





How can we surrender ourselves to Christ with that kind of whole-hearted trust, believing that it is worth it? How can we personally get to know the God of the Universe who invites us into an intimate relationship? Paul underlines here that it is through a personal self-sacrifice, “the loss of all things”—valuing this relationship with Christ more than anything else. It does not mean that we cannot still love other people; no, we are commanded to love. It does not mean that we must devalue taking care of creation, doing what is right. Instead it requires yearning to please our Lord by doing all that he has asked us to do, and doing it because we love him. This is a part of our “love libation.” Jesus said:





If you love me, you will obey my commandments. (Jn. 14:15 NET)





Another critical element is the one I was trying to accomplish in my own life when I wrote the poem above. When you are in a love relationship with someone, you have conversations with them. You get to know them by sharing life, by noticing what they value and what touches them most. You watch what they do, listen to what they say, how they respond. You notice their reactions and how they show love, then you continue to improve the way you show love in return. I was asking: How could I do this in my relationship with God?  How could I pour out a love offering that was not just ritual words, and that did not cut itself off for lack of interest or a tendency to let distractions cut the conversation?





One way is to notice what he has done for me, for you, what he is doing right now—paying attention to the blessings we receive and the lessons he is teaching. For most of us it is a learning curve to listen to him and what he is saying in response to our questions or assertions or demands. A meaningful conversation is more than just reciting words. It includes sharing one’s heart, both parties in the exchange. How can we hear what God says, and get to know him intimately rather than just as some distant reality?





We have direct access to our Father, who lives in us through Jesus and his Spirit (John 14and 15). There is no directive to go through any other intermediary; we are his and he delights in walking with us, guiding us. He has told us to come straight to him with all that concerns us, trusting his goodness:





Trust in him at all times, you people! Pour out your hearts before him! God is our shelter!  (Ps. 62:8 NET)





Whatever is going on, we can run to him in our hearts and in the prayers we say aloud. He is our safe place, and even when things are tough he is waiting to hear from us and strengthen us:





Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. (Matt. 11:28 NLT)





When we give him what is weighing us down, we show that we know he is there, ready to lift the load. The more that we do it the more we get to know him as we hear his comfort and see him at work. It is a journey, one that requires commitment.





When I married my husband, I thought I knew him really well after three years of getting acquainted and becoming committed to a loving relationship. Now, over 53 years later, I know him so much more deeply and intimately!  We’ve shared joy and sorrow, and innumerable experiences that have shown me who he really is—not just in words but by seeing how he lives life. A true commitment to our Lord shows us who he is. We learn much through reading the Bible, his Word that he left us. Then we begin to experience personally who he is as we walk through each moment with him, learning to listen as he guides us or reminds us of truth.





A verse that launched me on this journey when I was just a child is this one:





Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.  (Jas. 4:8 NET)





He is right there, inviting us. Our part in developing the relationship is to turn to him and spend meaningful time with him, “drawing near.” You cannot get to truly know someone without spending time with them, exchanging meaningful conversations with them,  walking life together with them in increasing intimacy. Our God is love. He is waiting with open arms and his loving, open heart!





May we consistently offer a love libation, pouring out our heart and receiving his loving response!

	


	





	

		
No Holding Back!
	


	
	

		













“Sell all that you have 
and give it away!” 
my Lord Jesus said 
to the wealthy inquirer, 
and then, said to me, 
“No more holding back!”

That’s just what he meant 
when he said, “Hand it over,
your life and your soul!
For what I require
is total commitment,
no half-hearted ‘oh . . .’ ”

That’s how I discovered
that his word is truth,
when I put my own self
on his altar of love,
trusting his plan
and his tender heart,

He gave me himself,
living inside me,
slowly unveiling
the shape of his goals,
guiding me forward
on his chosen path.

And I have been free
as never before,
free to respond,
free to explore
the depths of his kindness
his love for the poor,

and even the prideful
one, trying so hard
to make it alone,
to push away Abba
thinking he’s strong,
although he’s so wrong.

“Loose your grip on your life~!”
That’s the next thing he said,
touching my hands.
“Give up control
of your time and your goods;
your life is not your own!”


Every day I give you my all,
trusting your goodness,
stomping on fear,
serving your purpose,
my God, the Good Boss,
without whom we’re lost!







That rich man who only wanted to know how to do enough good to get to heaven was shocked by Jesus’ final words: he not only had to keep all the commandments, but let go of his possessions and his life path:





21 “If you want to be perfect,” Jesus said to him, “go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”  (Matt. 19:21 CSB)





Those of us who are perfectionists really do want to be perfect, but living life the perfect way on the Jesus Road is not something we would choose. We want control of our lives. Like the rich man, that invitation from Jesus to “follow me” includes way too much letting go of control.





One of my hardest learning curves while serving in missions in Côte d’Ivoire was giving up relinquishing my to-do list, my schedule, into my Lord’s hands. I like to be organized, respecting daily space for work, exercise, creativity, and my books. Of course family was a part of all that for many years, with kids taking up evenings as well as most of my days. That was to be expected.





What I had not factored in appropriately was the rich view of community in the culture there. It required receiving visitors whenever they came, offering a drink of water and personal attention. In the U.S. it is rare that neighbors or other friends pop in, several each day, especially in the evenings. We needed to change our expectations and be ready to warmly receive the visitor—and also get out of our nook to go spend time with them.





We knew we needed rest, so we did shut the front door at 8 pm, just opening up for urgent visits. But our receptivity made a huge difference in building relationships. After a while it was groups that honored us with a special visit (lots of sandals at the door!). The practice of warm welcome opened hearts as well as doors!





Here in Detroit I was getting used to a rhythm that kept me productive, scheduling meetings or calls with certain friends. I was in charge of my life again. It is rare here to get unexpected visits. Then the Lord pressed my heart gently and reminded me that my life is not my own. It’s his. And he had his own plans for this season, too, plans for new kinds of fruitfulness that suit his good purposes. He reminded me that in my youth I had repeatedly consecrated my life to him through a hymn that is constantly applicable: Take My Life and Let it Be, by Frances Ridley Havergal (1874):





Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
let them flow in endless praise.





Yes, my moments and my days! I had slipped back into clutching control of my time. Not that my Lord is against his people being organized and accomplishing tasks, as well as taking care of themselves! No! But living a life devoted to him requires letting him be in control. When he puts an unexpected responsibility into the works, whether it is a relationship or a service, we have to let go of that part of our planned schedule. So this year I’ve been contemplating that, asking him to show me his plans. He has, and yes, my spiritual peace has been energized and renewed.





That is just one example of what it can mean to do what Jesus said is the ultimate expression of agape love, “to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15.13). He himself laid down his life for us on the cross—he literally gave it up out of love. Most of us are not given that kind of opportunity to “lay down” our lives by dying in place of someone. But he had already shown his love, so many times, to people leading up to his death. Crowds followed him; he paid attention to them and taught them. Suffering people came for healing; he healed them. His disciples were scared stiff, caught in a storm at sea; he calmed the storm and protected them. Parents brought their kids for blessing, which disrupted the normal teaching time; he told those trying to push them away to let them come.  He demonstrated humble service by washing his disciples feet. So many examples!





When we think about giving up control of our lives, we see ourselves in the role of a servant. But Jesus added onto the powerful command to “lay down one’s life” a note that is very touching. He said that rather than “servant,’ he calls someone who lives out that command “friend!”  Why? Because “a servant does not know his master’s business.” (John 15:15). A disciple who listens to this command and is ready to use his life to serve others lovingly, the way his Master directs him, that person does know what their Master is all about. They know his business!





Our God is love. His “business” is to live out this love that wants the best for others, and to share his words with those he puts in our lives, wherever he plants us. When an urgent need shows up on our doorstep or when the phone rings, it is a call to action. And even when a longer-term commitment is required, let’s “lay down” our lives according to his direction—no holding back!






	


	





	

		
What I Need to Walk this Path
	


	
	

		







It’s getting dark, there’s no light on the path. 
I stumble and fall. 
I shouldn’t have left my best flashlight 
back there in the hall. 

I look all over for something to eat—
forgot to bring lunch!
My stomach rumbles and grumbles complaint
with nothing to munch.

So now my strength is wilting away,
with no energy stored.
Then I hear the call that I needed so much,
as I strain forward:

“Pull out the Book and take a good look!
My word is bread!
Use it as a lamp and now you can see!
You’re led and fed!”





It may seem simplistic to say that words can feed you. But the Word that comes from our God is truly our spiritual sustenance: it feeds our soul, our inner being. When we ignore it, or take just a small bite once in a while, we are not being fed. We are substituting a little snack bag of chips for the stuffed potato, or totally refusing the platter of a real meal.





God gave us the gift of his Word through his chosen servants: the prophets, the historians, the singers, the messengers, the disciples. And Jesus shared all his Father’s words for the ongoing nourishment of everyone who would enter his family, his Church. Those of us who have translations of these words in our own language are blessed with a banquet!





Jesus pushed back the temptation of Satan by underlining this very truth:





But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” (Matt. 4:4 NET)





Satan had urged him to give in to his body’s hunger; Jesus would have none of it. He knew that greater things were at stake here, and he made a point that  should prompt us to recognize the incredible value of God’s Word to give us nourishment and strength—real life!





When we rely on his instruction and do what it says, the Lord himself takes up residence in us:





“If anyone loves me, he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him. (Jn. 14:23 NET)





When we believe in Jesus as our one Rescuer and earnestly love him, we are paying attention to him and yearning to know him better and better. If we really do love and respect him, then we will obey his commands. That is when God gladly enters our being and makes his home in us. It is way too easy to take this promise lightly and assume that a simple confession of faith is all that is necessary, that we are then free to follow our own wisdom and assuage our inner appetites with whatever we want.





No! We need to obey his words! How can we do that if we do not know what he commanded? What if we have heard them or skimmed over them but have not stored them in our minds, our hearts? What if we choose to keep them in a “church” storage cabinet in our minds, but not in the center that guides our daily life? If so, they are not living in us, living with us in the way that is necessary for intimate exchange and obedience.





Jesus’ emphasized this so much that his disciple, John, made it a theme of his written documents, to pass it on to us. Here are key verses: that show what happens when his words are not “residing in” us, in intimate connection:





. . . nor do you have his word residing in you, because you do not believe the one whom he sent. (Jn. 5:38 NET)





The person who does not love me does not obey my words. And the word you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me. (Jn. 14:24 NET)





We can trust the words of Jesus, which came from the Father (John 15:15). They are truth:





Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth. (Jn. 17:17 NET)





And as was written in the psalms, when we digest those words of truth, they empower us to resist breaking God’s commands:





Direct my steps by your word! Do not let any sin dominate me! (Ps. 119:133 NET)





In my heart I store up your words, so I might not sin against you. (Ps. 119:11 NET)





His word is a shield to protect us from harm, from distress brought on by evil.  It is also our weapon when we are attacked: 





And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Eph. 6:17 NET)





Every word of God is purified; he is like a shield for those who take refuge in him. (Prov. 30:5 NET)





And it is light, given us so that we can see the path before us and not stumble and fall, but follow his directives:





Your word is a lamp to walk by, and a light to illumine my path. (Ps. 119:105 NET)





Listen to my cry for help, O LORD! Give me insight by your word! (Ps. 119:169 NET)





This all underlines the importance of storing up God’s words in our hearts. He has given us many ways to do this, and here in the U.S. we have access to his written Word in our language as well as to many churches where his Word is preached. We can store his words firmly through spiritual practices like these:





    

  • listening carefully to pastors’ messages,
    • 




  • taking notes, journaling, in a way that cements them for us,
    • 




  • reading the Bible ourselves daily,
    • 




  • contemplating what we read, not just doing speed-reading,
    • 




  • memorizing key verses and passages that the Lord highlights for us,
    • 




  • discussing Scripture with other believers.
    • 






When we love his Word, we can even look forward to spending hours with it—even when sleep escapes us:





My eyes anticipate the nighttime hours, so that I can meditate on your word.  (Ps. 119:148 NET)





You can hold onto a verse or passage that you love and let it be your theme in the night!





Perhaps some other approaches have helped you—I invite you to share them with me. We are on a journey here on earth, and our Lord has given us what we need to make it to destination, following his path. We just need to respect and use those tools!