Doing what we're Created to Do
Both girls left early this morning for two different road trips so I slept in a little and then sat outside enjoying some time in prayer and the Word. I love the silence of being outside in the morning, though it really isn't silent...the song masters fill the air from their tree platforms and this morning I was reminded of a moment in my life that was really life changing.
It was a hot summer day in Macon, MS. I was working at a Christian Camp in the middle of thousands of acres of timberland, walking around Shadow Lake. The day before my future wife and I taught a group of teenagers about creative ways to date and stay holy. As I was walking back to my cabin, I felt the Holy Spirit whisper, “You don’t do that with me.” I instantly knew what He meant…I didn’t set aside time, creative time, to simply be with Him. I went through the motions of Bible reading and prayer, but I didn’t work on my relationship with Him. The rest of the day was packed, but I knew I had the next afternoon off, so, I scheduled time to take a walk with Jesus.
The next day I found myself walking on the gravel road around the lake. The camp speaker had spoken the night before from Zephaniah 3:17, “The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.” As I thought about that, walking in one tire rut with Jesus walking beside me in the other, I began to sing Keith Green’s song, “O Lord Your Beautiful.’ I walked over the spillway, and around the corner in the midst of pine trees singing, “O Lord, you’re beautiful, Your face is all I seek…”. As I finished the song, I said, “Lord, that’s my favorite song, what’s yours?”
I remember stopping and waiting for His reply. The moment is seared into my mind. It was as if I stepped over a threshold…everything grew quiet. The music over the loudspeaker, the sound of teenagers laughing across the lake, and the ski boat…they all just seemed to be muted and I heard a bird singing…it was as if the bird was on my shoulder…it was that close and it was just singing it’s song. I sat and waited until it was done, started walking, and I remember saying, “Lord, that was nice, but what are the words?” And I heard Him…it was within, but louder than audible, He asked, “John, what was that bird created to do?” I said, “To sing.” He said, “My favorite song is for my creation to do what it was created to do.”
I haven’t had many experiences with God like that. Those moments are rarer than I would care to admit, but I’ll never forget that afternoon as I walked with Jesus around Shadow Lake. I will never forget the intimacy of the moment…singing to God and having Him sing to me through His creation…it was a Psalm 19 kind of day, but what He said has stuck with me…God has created everything for a purpose. HE has created it all for His own glory and when we do what He has called us to do…when we, in the power of His Spirit, walk with Him, He sings over us, and our obedience is a song that is more pleasing that we could ever imagine.
It was a hot summer day in Macon, MS. I was working at a Christian Camp in the middle of thousands of acres of timberland, walking around Shadow Lake. The day before my future wife and I taught a group of teenagers about creative ways to date and stay holy. As I was walking back to my cabin, I felt the Holy Spirit whisper, “You don’t do that with me.” I instantly knew what He meant…I didn’t set aside time, creative time, to simply be with Him. I went through the motions of Bible reading and prayer, but I didn’t work on my relationship with Him. The rest of the day was packed, but I knew I had the next afternoon off, so, I scheduled time to take a walk with Jesus.
The next day I found myself walking on the gravel road around the lake. The camp speaker had spoken the night before from Zephaniah 3:17, “The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.” As I thought about that, walking in one tire rut with Jesus walking beside me in the other, I began to sing Keith Green’s song, “O Lord Your Beautiful.’ I walked over the spillway, and around the corner in the midst of pine trees singing, “O Lord, you’re beautiful, Your face is all I seek…”. As I finished the song, I said, “Lord, that’s my favorite song, what’s yours?”
I remember stopping and waiting for His reply. The moment is seared into my mind. It was as if I stepped over a threshold…everything grew quiet. The music over the loudspeaker, the sound of teenagers laughing across the lake, and the ski boat…they all just seemed to be muted and I heard a bird singing…it was as if the bird was on my shoulder…it was that close and it was just singing it’s song. I sat and waited until it was done, started walking, and I remember saying, “Lord, that was nice, but what are the words?” And I heard Him…it was within, but louder than audible, He asked, “John, what was that bird created to do?” I said, “To sing.” He said, “My favorite song is for my creation to do what it was created to do.”
I haven’t had many experiences with God like that. Those moments are rarer than I would care to admit, but I’ll never forget that afternoon as I walked with Jesus around Shadow Lake. I will never forget the intimacy of the moment…singing to God and having Him sing to me through His creation…it was a Psalm 19 kind of day, but what He said has stuck with me…God has created everything for a purpose. HE has created it all for His own glory and when we do what He has called us to do…when we, in the power of His Spirit, walk with Him, He sings over us, and our obedience is a song that is more pleasing that we could ever imagine.
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