“I will serve You Lord, always for You are my strength…
But I’ll praise You for You are holy, Lord
And I’ll lift my hands, but You are worthy of so much more….”
As I listened to the song, Life of Praise by Casting Crowns, the line “I’ll lift my hands, but You are worthy of so much more!” jumped out at me. I, sometimes, lift my hands at church during worship and I serve in the Children’s Ministry. However, I got the feeling that the “…so much more…” being referred to here could not be summed up in the amount of serving I do.
I asked the Lord, “What is this ‘…so much more…’?”
I compiled a (mini) list of things God is worthy of:
Glory
O Lord , our Lord, Your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens.
Psalm 8:1
Praise
Let the godly sing for joy to the Lord ; it is fitting for the pure to praise Him.
Psalm 33:1
Glory and praise are obvious things that the Lord is worthy of! After all, He is who He is. I felt a nudge to make this much more personal.
God is worthy of my:
Love –
Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart,
all your soul, and all your mind.’
Matthew 22:37
Loyalty –
Remain in me, and I will remain in you.
For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine,
and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
John 15:4
Obedience –
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.
Psalms 37: 23-24
Trust –
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.
Psalms 20:7-8
Complete Devotion –
The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.
He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. S
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalms 23:1, 3, 6
Time –
Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught.
Luke 10:39
Feel free to add to this “mini” list!
Ultimately, God is worthy of everything that is in my possession, but being specific helps me to focus on actual areas. Vaguely, saying, “I give you my all,” is easy for me. When you start to put names to “my all” the obvious question is, “Does He still get your everything?”
Time is a big one for me…I like to spend more time than I should playing endless hours of video games.
* * * * *
Lord, help me to he a better steward of that which you have blessed with with. Help me to remember that I am meant to bring glory to you.
Amen.
Thank you, Ahmee. That was beautiful. Humility: Micah 6:8- He has told you, O man, what is good: And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with God?
Thank you Ahmee, for these Scriptures to remind us of what our “life of praise” should look like.