Where is God?

My hope today is that you will all share with me in about 15 minutes of worship as we seek together to know God and His heart for us…

MATTHEW 2:1-2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

As a couple, Larry and I have been exceedingly challenged by our daughter Carly’s medical issues and sleep deterioration this year. She has Angelman Syndrome which often, like in her case, includes a complicated sleep disorder. Our sleep deprivation and discouragement have been mounting. As ministry leaders who do a fair bit of pastoral-type care and discipleship, we are also walking alongside several families facing very dark circumstances. These situations are especially painful at Christmastime. There are certainly times when we resonate with the plea, “Where ARE You God?”

Early this week, I was pondering what Larry shared in last week’s blog about God looking at the heart and not appearances. That truth sunk deeper still as I turned it upside down in my mind. Here’s my confession: I am sometimes tempted to judge God’s love for me (his heart) by whether He answers my prayers, by how well my life is going, by whether it LOOKS like He cares about me.

Here’s a Christmas week challenge I am embracing and share with each of you:

Let’s seek hard to find God in our midst and know His true heart!

I want to really KNOW the One who dwells within me.

The better I know the heart of the One who saves me, the more I will share His eternal kingdom perspective which will change everything about who I am as well as everything about how I live and love!

So, come with me and let’s be like the magi who traveled from a far away place asking, “where is the one?” because they wanted to worship Him. God will reveal Himself to us as we seek after Him!

Beginning with a song… “You Are the One”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bhwv2ys4j_s&feature=artist

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him. PSALM 103:8-13

“Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. MATTHEW 18:21-22

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. EPHESIANS 3:14-21

And now, “Sing to the King!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLtZMMThW4w

Thanks for worshipping with us folks!

And now may you continue to experience the awe and wonder of the King who reigns throughout this Christmas season and into the new year!