Due HIS name

Psalm 29:1-5“Ascribe to the Lord, O mighty ones, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness. The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.”

This is the LORD.  This morning I am struggling in my heart with obedience and trust and wisdom, and I was so struck by this verse.  This is the God that I serve.  He deserves all the glory.  He is powerful and mighty, He is majestic and strong.  And yet, Scripture tells me that He is personal.  He knows me.  He loves me.  He is working for my good.  And I don’t think I can trust Him?

For me obedience has everything to do with trust.  If I trust the Lord, I mean really trust the Lord, then I trust that what He asks of me, what He says in Scripture, is not just a list of rules that He made because He was in bad mood.  If I trust the Lord’s love for me then I can be sure that what He asks of me He asks because it is really for my good.  As the Jesus storybook Bible puts it, “the Bible shows us how life works best.”  When I lean into Jesus and His love for me than I respond by obeying because I trust that my Father in heaven wants what is best for me.

And sometimes I don’t.  Sometimes I don’t trust and I don’t obey.

Psalm 39:7 “But now, Lord, what do I look for?  My hope is in YOU!”

Praise the Lord that He does not hold a list of our sins against us.  Our hope is in HIM.  Our hope for forgiveness, for grace, and a changed heart in the future.  Today I’m holding on to the promise that I have a Father in heaven who has good for me, who loves me, who changes my heart to know more of Jesus, who forgives for my laziness, my distrust, and my disobedience.  I want to believe this for myself and I want it to overflow out of me into my ministry that these girls will know Jesus in such a personal way that they will run to HIM and lean into HIM and trust His love in their lives.