A New Song (Sing Along!)

"Sing to the LORD
a new song;
sing to the LORD,
praise His name."
(Psalm 96:1)
Happy New Year, precious friends! It is a fresh new year, and a fresh new day. Let your very first thought this morning be this: the Lord loves you! HE loves you! He LOVES you! He loves YOU!

And, it is "because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning ..." (Lamentations 3:22-23; see also Psalm 30:5, Isaiah 33:2). Beloved, before you write one resolution or set a single goal for this new year, resolve this: do not live another minute without making Him the priority of your life. "For I resolved to know nothing ... except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." (1 Corinthians 2:2).

Know that He loves you. Know that He died for you and that He still would have died for you ... even if you were the only person on earth! And live in the light of that love. Love Him in return. And praise Him; oh, praise Him!

I love to sing, but I've never sung well. I have spoken before large crowds since I was young with no anxiety at all, but singing is a different matter. I was so unsure of my voice, that I even mouthed our hymns of praise during church worship services. Singing (at least in public!) was never more than a soft whisper. There is little that I fear, but singing in public was one thought that filled me with dread (and even gave me a few nightmares!).

The Lord, though, has a great sense of humor, an encouraging Spirit, and a way of helping us face our fears, whether we want to or not.

About a year and a half ago, I was taking a walk around our neighborhood, which is heavily wooded. No one was out except for me; it was a quiet morning, and I heard the beautiful and sweet sound of a lone bird, chirping and singing in the trees. I couldn't see her at first, but my eyes eventually focused, and I saw her sitting all by herself, nestled back in the trees, joyfully singing at the top of her little lungs. She was rather plain, just a simple brown little bird, and it was as if she was singing for no one except the Lord and for no reason other than His pleasure. As I stopped to listen and marvel at her voice, the Lord whispered to my heart, "Sing to Me a new song." (Reference Psalm 33:3, 40:3, 96:1, 98:1, 144:9; Isaiah 42:10. Also Revelation 5:9, 14:3.)

In that instant, I was filled with joy, and I realized afresh that He created everyone and everything to give praise to His Name. It absolutely pleased Him that I praised Him privately in song, but I felt Him encouraging me to praise Him publicly in song. "Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, His praise in the assembly of the saints." (Psalm 144:9).

Long story short: a few months ago, I joined the choir at our church. Now, beloved, I had no idea what I was doing. I could read piano music, but I did not know the difference between an alto, a soprano, and a no-no!

A few weeks after joining the choir, the Lord prompted me to show up to sing in our church praise and worship band. "What?!?!" I exclaimed, "That's only a handful of people who have been doing this together for years, and they don't even practice until a few minutes before the Sunday service!! I don't even know if they accept new band members. What if I have to try out?" But, in obedience to Him, I arrived early the Sunday morning after His prompting and hesitantly said, "I'm here to sing with the band." I don't know what everyone thought, but they were kind enough not to say it out loud.

Again, I had no idea what I was doing, but the Lord graciously led me through every song, note by note. I was amazed! And, I loved it! I loved praising Him in this new way! I have so far avoided any solo parts, but now, He is impressing me to share an a cappella version of "Amazing Grace" that I sing to Him in my own private praise and worship. Oh, have mercy! Please pray for me!

I share this, precious friends, to encourage you to put all of your faith, trust, hope, and love in Him. Listen to Him, and be obedient to Him. Most of all, love Him and praise Him! "For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him, strength and joy in His dwelling place." (1 Chronicles 16:25-27; see also Psalm 96:4-6).

Most of the world celebrated 2009 by ringing in the new year at midnight. I fell asleep about 11:30 pm but woke up thirty minutes later to the sound of gunshots ushering in 2009. (Which one of my neighbors was doing THAT?!) I stumbled past my sleeping husband, my sleeping dogs, and into the room of my sleeping daughter, to kiss her forehead. And I praised the Lord. "At midnight I rise to give You thanks for Your righteous laws." (Psalm 119:62).

Beloved, it is not the new year that gives us hope but our new birth in Jesus Christ. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade -- kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith -- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire -- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." (1 Peter 1:3-7).

We can do nothing in our own strength ... but everything is His (reference Philippians 4:13). All glory and praise to Him!

Precious Father, thank You for Your love! Thank You for making all things new. Thank You for Your Word and the promises within it. I pray that 2009 will yield a harvest of righteousness for those who love and trust in You (reference 2 Corinthians 9:10; Hebrews 12:11; James 3:18). May we all sing a new song to You and "may everything that has breath praise the Lord" (Psalm 150:6). I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, the Good News! Amen.

"See, I am doing
a new thing!
Now it springs up;
do you not perceive it?
I am making a way
in the desert
and streams
in the wasteland."
(Isaiah 43:19)

For further reflection on this topic, see also ...

• "Lost and Found"
• "Because He Says So"

How can I encourage and pray for you today? Please let me know by clicking on "Sparks Share" at the end of today's reflection, and scroll down to the "Comments" box. You may choose to comment anonymously, if you prefer. Feel free to leave your praises and insights as well!
Copyright 2009. Kathryn B. Wells. All Rights Reserved.

Ready or Not ...

" 'So you also must be ready,
because the Son of Man
will come at an hour
when you do not expect Him.' "
(Matthew 24:44)
Oh, precious friends! I am so delighted to be back at the keyboard! The past week and a half has been busy, and while my flesh cried out for time to write, my spirit patiently waited upon the Lord's timing.

Many reflections are swirling about in my head and in my heart. I want to write about faith in the fire, as righteously exemplified by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3. I want to write about greed, deceit, and the love of money, as unrighteously demonstrated by Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. But the word that the Lord has given me for today is "ready".

Among the definitions for "ready", this particular one struck me: "completely prepared and in fit condition for immediate action or use".

Completely prepared for immediate use. Completely fit for immediate action. Oh, beloved, does that description fit you? Does it fit me? Does it fit the Church, the bride of Christ?

Much is being said, written, speculated, predicted, and prophesied right now about end times. I suppose there are such signs in each generation, and there are certainly many indicators of end times present in today's world. But, dear friends, it really shouldn't matter whether Christ returns tomorrow, next month, next year, or a hundred years from now. We should be ready, regardless.

We do not know when Christ will call for His bride. " 'No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.' " (Matthew 24:26, see also 24:50, 25:13; Mark 13:32; Luke 12:46). We do have signs of the end of the age as recorded in God's Word (reference Mark 13 and Luke 21). But, dear ones, I believe that our purpose is not to live in conscious analysis of current events and select passages of Scripture. Rather, I believe we are to live in the unconscious synthesis of the Holy Spirit (reference Galatians 5:16-26) and the entire Word of God. That seamless manifestation of His Truth, His Light, and His Love can radiate from us only when we are completely surrendered to the Lord.

The Bible states "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings." (Proverbs 25:2) and "Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7). The Lord reveals Himself everyday ... in every way. But, precious ones, I don't believe that we are to seek to exist in the ecstasy of His signs and wonders. In order to be of service to the Living Lord, we must descend from the joy of our mountaintop experiences and live in His Truth and in His Light, down on the ground in the midst of the battle.

Living every day as a soldier in the Lord's ground troops is not for the weary, the uncommitted, or the faint of heart, and the Lord winnows His warriors (reference Judges 7:1-8). It is hard work, often requiring us to slog through some most undesirable circumstances. But, precious ones, faithfulness and obedience in those seemingly unglorious assignments are precisely what readies us for His return.

What glory does He get from a watching world, which perceives Christians as incubated and intubated in a Holy bubble? If I may be so bold, I submit that the Lord's greatest glory comes not from periods of untested joy and prosperity, but from periods of proven faithfulness and obedience, purposefully independent of earthly circumstances. From faith in the fire, a la Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3). From faith in the absence of fact, demonstrated by Noah (Genesis 5:28-9:29; Hebrews 11:7). From faith in fearful circumstances, characterized by the obedience of Abraham (Genesis 22:1-18; Hebrews 11:8-10). From faith in circumstances beyond human control, reasoning, and understanding, characterized by Mary, the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38, 46-55, 2:19). From faith in the face of death, represented by Stephen (Acts 7:54-60), and ultimately, embodied by Jesus Christ Himself.

The faith of these, and the faith of countless others--known and unknown, named and unnamed, past and present--was and is a ready faith, cultivated by a carefully chosen lifestyle, which consistently honored and glorified the Lord. None were perfect, but all were faithful. Long before (more than 500 years before!) the Lord directed Noah to build the ark, "he walked with God" (Genesis 6:9). Long before Abraham became our Divinely appointed patriarch, his life was characterized by prompt obedience to and faith in the Lord (Genesis 12:4, 15:6, 17:23, 22:3, 22:8). By continually walking with God, by constantly seeking His face, by consistently searching His heart, they were--and we are--made ready for the day of our greatest test of faith.

Beloved, let us cast off every shred of complacency and mediocrity, clothing ourselves instead with the full armor of God (reference Ephesians 6:10-18), including "the readiness that comes from the gospel" (reference Ephesians 6:15). Let us be ready. Let us be completely fit for His service. Let us be completely prepared for His immediate use.

He's coming ... ready or not.

Precious Father, oh glorious Lord, I thank You for incomparable and inconceivable eternal kingdom plan! I thank You, Lord, for the treasured glimpses of Your delight in our faithfulness, which encourage us as we trudge forward on the ground below. Please help us remember that our plodding is not without purpose and that our sole responsibility is to remain rooted and ready in You. I pray that our witness would go before You, "... in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." (Luke 1:17). May we " 'be dressed ready for service ...' " (Luke 12:35), and may we sound a clear call so that others will ready themselves for battle (reference 1 Corinthians 14:8). On the day of the Lamb's wedding supper, may we be found worthy to hear those precious words, " '... For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.' " (Revelation 19:7) I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Leader and Commander (reference Isaiah 55:4). Amen.

"Praise be to the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ!
In His great mercy
He has given us new birth
into a living hope
through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead,
and into an inheritance
that can never perish, spoil or fade--
kept in Heaven for you,
who through faith
are shielded by God's power
until the coming of the salvation
that is ready to be revealed
in the last time.' "
(1 Peter 1:3-5)

For further reflection on this topic, see also ...

• "A Battle Rages; Stand Firm!"
• "Because He Says So"

How can I encourage and pray for you today? Please let me know by clicking on "Sparks Share" at the end of today's reflection, and scroll down to the "Comments" box. You may choose to comment anonymously, if you prefer. Feel free to leave your praises and insights as well!

Copyright 2008. Kathryn B. Wells. All Rights Reserved.

Because He Says So

"... because You say so,
I will let down the nets."
(Luke 5:5)
Last night, I prepared this morning's reflection. This morning, the Lord completely changed it ... again ... :-), and He brought to mind the pure and precious obedience of a little girl.

As I sat in my car yesterday evening at the soccer field, studying my Bible and waiting for my daughter's practice to end, I tuned out most of the folks walking by. I was parked beside a gate, and it seemed that most of the children couldn't just walk through the gate--they had to swing on it, jump over it, or crawl under it. I was conscious of many parents saying, "Don't do that. Don't do that. Don't do that. You're going to get hurt." I didn't really look up from my studies, but it sounded like most of the kids did it anyway.

Then, I heard more footsteps crunching through the gravel and a mother's voice, "Don't play on that."

"OK, Mama."

It was the most precious little voice, and, upon hearing it, I looked up to see a tiny girl--about three years old--with blonde ringlets, wearing HUGE sunglasses :-), shuffling along after her mother ... just as content, and joyful, and obedient as could be.

"OK, Mama."

I can't really remember my daughter saying that to me! (But, then again, I can't remember saying that to my mom, either!) My wonderful daughter likes to be "in the know"; she's obedient (usually!), but she wants to know all the reasons why she should be. If she were three again, and I told her not to swing on the gate, it exhausts me to think about all the questions she would ask about why she shouldn't swing on it and the comprehensive case she would make for why it would be okay "just this once".

Once upon a time, I worked in the media, and my job was to get the "Who, What, When, Where, Why, & How" of every story. So, I guess my daughter gets that compulsion honestly. I like to know, too. How refreshing, though, to hear this exchange last night, characterized by a prompt and pure expression of obedience.

It made me think about all the times I have questioned the Lord, not necessarily in doubt or disobedience, but just because I wanted to know "why". The Bible records so many faithful individuals whose lives were marked by prompt obedience to the Lord. One of my favorites is Abraham: "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as His inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." (Hebrews 11:8).

This morning, though, the Lord keeps leading me to the examples of His first disciples. When he called Simon Peter and Andrew, they left their nets and followed Him "at once" (Matthew 4:20). James and John left their boat (and their father!) "immediately" (Matthew 4:22). Contrast those reactions, though, with that of Nathanael (Bartholomew), whose immediate response was to ask questions to Philip, "Can anything good come from [Nazareth]?" (John 1:46) and to Jesus Himself, "How do You know me?" (John 1:48). Bartholomew did, of course, follow Jesus, but his questioning hits a little too close to home, and reminds me of a phrase used very often by the teachers at my daughter's school: "Slow Obedience is No Obedience".

I love today's reflection Scripture, Luke 5:5. Jesus instructs Simon Peter to take his boat out into deep water and to let down his nets. Simon Peter had just returned from a rather fruitless fishing expedition, was already cleaning his nets, and was probably very tired. I don't know what Simon Peter was thinking, but here's what he said, " 'Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets.' " Through his obedience, of course, the Lord blessed him with so many fish that his nets began to break!

Oh, to obey without having to know the outcome or the reason why!

"OK, Mama."

"OK, Abba."

"I will ... just because You say so."

Precious Father, thank You for loving us even when we are obstinate and unlovable; thank You for patiently waiting when we ask wearying question after wearying question. Let our lives, Lord, be characterized by prompt and pure obedience to You. Let us remember, Lord, that You work "for the good of those who love [You], who have been called according to [Your] purpose" (Romans 8:28). Let us remember that we need not know "what"; we need only know "Who". Let us follow Your every call ... just because You say so. I pray in the name of Jesus, Your perfect Son and my precious Savior. Amen.

"... to obey
is better than sacrifice ..."
(1 Samuel 15:22)
(How can we encourage and pray for you today? Please feel free to let us know by posting a comment below; click on "Sparks Share" at the end of today's reflection, and scroll down to the "Comments" box. You may choose to comment anonymously, if you prefer.)

Copyright 2008. Kathryn B. Wells. All Rights Reserved.