Weekend Worship — A Story of God's Faithfulness

Mr. and Mrs. Keith Silva

I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;
turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. — Psalm 17:6

My friends, this is a special day for me and my family. It's my oldest daughter's wedding day. For me it's also a testimony to God's faithfulness.

For years as I prayed over my girls, I have also prayed for the future men in their lives—for their future husbands. I prayed for men of integrity—godly men who knew Jesus and lived it out in their lives. I also prayed that God would prepare my girls and help them to be godly wives and helpers to their future husbands.

Today my daughter, Rachel, will walk down the aisle with this young man, Keith, who started "courting" her six years ago and is more than I prayed for or imagined. God answered my prayers far beyond my expectations. He is so good to this praying mama.

I'm so excited to see these two start their lives together. Already they exhibit the love and respect for each other as God intends it to be. I am so very proud of both of them and will now continue to pray for them to be united in their marriage and to love and respect each other as Christ tells us in Ephesians 6. 

So, rejoice with me, my Sumite family. Besides seeing my daughter and son-in-law speak their love and unite as one in marriage before family and friends, nothing gives me more joy today than sharing it with you.

I treasure and love you all so very, very much. Thank you for sharing this special day with me!
Dineen

Weekend Worship — A New Twist on Loneliness

My firends, we've talked a lot about loneliness in our mismatched marriages over the years, but I heard a new twist on it while listening to a podcast by Pastor Nathan Edwardson. It's amazing. Are you ready? This is what he said:

"Loneliness is an invitation to know and pursue the One who will never abandon us."

Wow. Talk about flipping your thinking to a new dimension. It's turning a negative into a positive. What a stunning idea, to think of our lonely moments as an invitation to know and pursue our Lord! Let's do it!

And now for some weekend worship. Here are two songs by the group Salvador. (Joanne, this will get your feet moving in your kitchen!) Turn up the volume and get ready to dance, my friends, because it's time to worship Jesus with some foot action!

Have an amazing weekend seeking the One who absolutely adores you!
Dineen

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Weekend Worship - FREEDOM!

Weekend Worship — Lay Me Down!

My precious Sumites, I love this song by Chris Tomlin because it's about the surrendered life and the JOY of living like we belong to Jesus. Because we do! We are His and He is ours. This is also what Scripture means when it says, "the joy of the Lord is our strength" (Neh. 8:10.)

When we walk in this place of surrender and obedience, we know freedom, joy and peace. To the world it makes no sense, but we know better, don't we? And oh, my spirit longs to share this with everyone! We want everyone to know our amazing healer and comforter, Jesus. Especially in light of the horrible events this past week.

We have the Holy Spirit and God is calling us to share Him! Have an amazing weekend, my dear sisters and brothers in Jesus. May His presence fill and rest upon you, may His blessings rain down over you and your family and may His strength, courage, love, power and authority reign supreme in your life!

We adore You, Jesus! Amen!

Love you so much, my friends!
Dineen

 

The Surrendered Life

My friends, Lynn and I are just days away from meeting some of you at the Intentional Life Conference. I am so excited to finally meet you in person and give you hugs! This community (SUMites as Ro called us!) is so precious to me. Those of you not coming, I feel like I’m carrying each of you in my heart to this conference.

These last few months we have witnessed God do some amazing things right here in our online community. I’m excitedly anticipating what God is going to do this weekend in the lives of all of the women attending. We are praying down the heavens to rest in and upon the church in Kingwood, their precious team working so hard behind the scenes to put everything in place, and for each and every woman who attends to leave on Saturday with a fresh anointing on their lives and new freedom that will manifest on a daily basis.

Just as we pray SUM community here too because Lynn and I want so desperately to see each one of you walking in this place of power and freedom in Christ because of what He's done for us and who we are in Him.

The week before Easter I was struck by the complete and pure example that Jesus presents as "surrendered." We think we “giving up” so much when we surrender to God—the world certainly thinks so and the enemy has convinced us of it too—but I’m discovering that when we surrender our lives to Jesus, that's when we WIN! We receive our complete birthright and inheritance in Him! In light of this holy dignity and His righteousness, who would want pride-based dignity before men and rights the world determines and changes on an hourly basis?

Some things we surrender once and we’re done with it because we have chosen to follow God. Some things we surrender for a time, waiting patiently and expectantly (or at least try to!) until God returns it to us in His promises and miracles. And some things we have to surrender on a daily and even hourly basis because our best choice is to trust God.

Surrendering isn’t always easy, and most definitely is always a process but the more I do it the more I embrace this amazing truth in my life.

My friends, SURRENDER = FREEDOM!

When I have surrendered my pain, God brought healing. When I have surrendered my grief, God brought comfort. When I have surrendered my expectations, God filled my needs. When I have surrendered my wants and dreams, He has given me more than I ever hoped for or imagined. When I give Him my heart, my worship and my trust by stepping out in faith, He has given me Himself.

This is the surrendered life. It’s not easy but it’s worth it. It’s not for the hero but the humble at heart. It’s not always what you want but it will always be exactly what you need most.

It’s about finding the heart of God and resting there. My friends, this is our peace that surpasses understanding in the storms of life. In this place, we can do anything and everything with and through Jesus, who’s Holy Spirit strengthens, guides, comforts and loves us, and know JOY even when everything around us is chaos.

The better I know God, the more I trust Him. And the more I trust Him, the more I am able to surrender to Him. I’m learning to leave off the “buts” and just believe.

Just believe.

Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, Father God, I pray that every woman and man who reads this prayer would receive a fresh anointing of faith. I pray that doubts would fall away, fears would flee and every day would bring new and stronger belief in You! Lord, open our eyes completely to Your presence in Your Word, the world and in us! Forgive us our unbelief and help us BELIEVE! You are the God of the impossible. Help us to walk every day with the expectation that You are present and working all around us. We stand ready to take the next step, Lord! Show us the way! In Your powerful name, Jesus, amen!

I love you all so very much, my friends, and I am praying and believing with you!

Dineen

Born to Create

I have a bone to pick. Something that has bugged me for years. It's not quite on topic with being spiritually mismatched but then again, this one change in your thinking could change every aspect of your life.

Care to pick that bone with me?

It's about creativity. For as long as I can remember I have loved to color, draw, illustrate, design and write. I've painted pictures and murals, crocheted more afghans and scarves than I can count and made several quilts. And I love to write.

So yes, I'm an artist. I am creative. Guess what? You are too. What's that you say? You can't draw? I've heard that line before: "I can't even draw a straight line." (Yes, pun intended.) Or this one: "I don’t have a creative bone in my body." (That’s the bone we’re picking—yes, another pun. How could I resist?) Or how about this complete and total potential buster: "I'm not a creative person."

But you are. You have to be. Why? Because you are created in God's image (Gen. 1:27). We all are. If we're created in God's image and He’s creative by nature, then we are creative beings. All of us.

Creativity comes in all forms. Not just at the end of a pencil or paintbrush. Not just in putting words together to create stories and move hearts. Creativity comes in the inspiration to arrange flowers in a vase, in the arrangement of furniture in a room, in the pages of a scrapbook, in the notes of a newly composed song, in a flower garden, in a carefully coordinated outfit complete with jewelry, in a scrumptious dinner prepared for your family, in the way you arrange your towels so they fit on the shelf because you don't have a linen closet (yeah, that’s me), in the photographs you take, in the way you pack your child's lunch so they are pleasantly surprised when they open it, in the sudden thought to call a friend and pray with her, in the text you thought up to send to your husband to make him smile, and in numerous other ways and things that I can't even think of but you can.

Are you thinking of some now?

God created us to create. Whatever that looks like for you, do it and if you don't know, I want you stop right now and ask God in what way He designed you to be creative.

Look at this definition I found on Wikipedia:

Creativity is the impetus behind any given act of creation: inventions, compositions, etc. It is a fundamental human compulsion and largely related to notions of what separates human from machine intelligence.

Are you an idea person? Then you're creating new ideas. Are you someone who likes to think outside the box? Then you’re creating new ways. Are you an organized person? Then you’re creating order. Are you a free spirit who loves to be with people and make them laugh? Then you’re creating joy.

I believe our creativity is where we are inspired by God, by His Holy Spirit, and I find that my greatest moments of creativity and inspiration come when I'm intentionally in His presence.

My friends, don't walk through life thinking you’re limited or uncreative. We are created in Christ Jesus and we’re created in God's image. We therefore are creative by nature. Somewhere between child and adulthood this part of us gets squelched down. So find your “artist” and let her loose. 

Ask God to show you what that is in you and how He wants to use it in your life, in your marriage, in your family—to impact those all around you. Think of it as a gift you have to share and find out how to share it.

Okay, I'm getting off my soapbox now. Let's have a little fun with this. In the comments, share what inspires you to create or be creative. You may spark someone who's searching for their creativity or help another to see how they already are creative. Sometimes we simply need someone to point it out in us.

Love you with the passion of Jesus, my friends!
Dineen

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When Love Abounds: Four Choices to an Intentional Christmas

We’d said farewell to precious friends and the turkey and fixings now resided in our fridge, along with the deserts, thank goodness! Our Thanksgiving Day drew to a close with a sweet contentment that warmed our hearts. My husband even commented that he thought it was his favorite Thanksgiving so far.

He and I worked to clean up the rest of the pots and pans, unaware that our two daughters and their sweeties sat at the dining room table, hooked into an action packed game of Catch Phrase.

Only when we’d finished our clean-up did we become fully aware of the momentous scene playing out.

How many years had I prayed and dreamed of such a day? For my two daughters to not just get along (with four years between them they often struggled to connect) but hang out and enjoy each other’s company? To one day see them with them as adults moving into their lives and witness the fruit of so many prayers?

I’m so glad I didn’t miss this moment, my friends, because even as I sat there, I knew this was a gift. A moment to ponder and hold in my heart, much like Mary did as she heard the shepherds and wise men sing the praises of the tiny babe she held close.

My husband and I whipped out our phones and snapped some shots to capture this moment because even he knew this time was special. To my chagrin, he even took a few pictures of me because “I looked so beautiful.”

I know without a doubt what he saw was my joy in the Lord for this time, for this rich blessing, for this sweet “kiss” from God telling me He’d heard every prayer and what I now saw was the promise of what was to come.

Love abounded. Great love. Great joy. A Great God.

Part of walking in God’s presence is staying aware of moments like these and staying in them. Right there, right in the moment. I could only sit on our couch and watch, soaking in every bit of it.

As we enter this Christmas season already full of events and family visits, it’s easy to miss special moments in the chaos so prevalent this time of year but therein may lay some of our greatest gifts of the season! Here’s what I learned last year in my determination to have an “Intentional Christmas:”

Intentional Choice #1: Reject the chaos. Decide how many “things” you and your family realistically have time for, pick a number and stick with it. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Sometimes last minute “things” come up so do be flexible but factor in margins to accommodate those sudden events so that your plans aren’t totally thrown off. Spontaneity can visit but don’t let her roost.

Intentional Choice #2: Choose specifically. Which events and activities do you and your family want to partake in? Which relationships do you feel the need to invest more time in this year? Even make time for rest in your schedule. Have a super busy day planned? Make the next day one of rest and relaxation. Make it a Christmas movie day, a time to read stories and just enjoy each other.

Intentional Choice #3: Release expectations. We often walk into the holidays with unrealistic expectations. We can’t control everything. Let go of unrealistic expectations of yourself, your husband, your immediate family, your extended family, of others and even of situations that serve only to create conflict and resentment. Let’s face the reality that the Christmas season can bring the best and worst out of us. Extend lots of grace and enjoy those moments when things just seem to fall into place and go smoothly. Be Mary and give Martha the season off. Moments with loved ones are way more important than making sure all your dishes match. Take this from someone who knows (wink).

Intentional Choice #4: Accept whatever comes. Not as a passive gesture but as a willingness to let God surprise you. This is where not just the good stuff happens but the great stuff. Don’t miss a moment of it. Cover yourself and your family in prayer for God’s love to abound and bring His blessings in the most unexpected places. Look for opportunities to bless your family, your friends and even a stranger here and there. This is where we find true joy and share it with the world!

I’ll end here with a wonderful moment right from the Bible:

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. — Luke 2:16-19

Let’s ponder those moments of the heart together!
Dineen

God's Unexpected Healing, Part 2

My friends, last week I shared the first part of my unexpected healing at Bethel Church and God’s gift of truth from a dear woman named Helen. Now for the rest of the story. Or rather, the results of this dramatic healing in my life that keeps playing out on a daily basis. Wow!

I really didn’t understand everything at the time that it happened. The full reality didn’t unfold immediately. With this kind of internal healing, it’s like a walk of discovery. Only as you move forward do you see the changes.

I remember when I worked as a youth minister, I loved the verse Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ set us free.” I craved that verse, wanted it to be true in my life more than anything but after a while I doubted it was possible. Seemed like my faith walk and life was an emotional roller coaster ride most of the time.

But over the years, as I submitted more and more of my heart to God, He has entered and healed as much as I allowed Him. Go back and read that sentence and see if that’s true for you. Do you limit what God has access to in your heart? Why? Keep reading and see if your answer is the same as mine was.

The conference at Bethel was the near completion (I say near because I believe we are constantly being perfected in our faith, and I in no way want to assume God is done in this area of my life) of a process that started in 2002 to free me of a past full of hurts and rejections that I’d allowed the enemy to use to hold me in bondage.

As I submitted more and asked for more freedom in my life, God was and is faithful. The process is ongoing! I am so radically changed! Sometimes we think we’ve completely submitted to God but He shows us more that He wants access to in order to show us who He created us to be through Jesus Christ, who we always were, are and are meant to be in our identity in Jesus. And very often to restore what the enemy has taken away.

My immediate proof was in the security and peace I felt. Then I noticed that I could look people straight in the eye. I didn’t dart my glance away out of shyness. I WANTED to look at them and I didn’t fear them looking back at me.

Then came our evening worship. I stood, anxious to worship God. My heart was so full of gratitude for what He’d done in me, even though I didn’t fully understand it yet, I knew He’d freed me. The music started and I can only describe it as if my spirit were dancing inside of me. I literally wanted to twirl like a little girl! Where I once used to hesitate out of fear of what others might think, I had not a care of what I looked like. It didn’t matter to me anymore.

At one point I shed the thin black jacket that I wore. Lynn was standing in the aisle a couple rows behind and says it was like witnessing my freedom come to life as I shed a mantle of darkness for God’s freedom. (I’ll let her tell that story if God leads her to.) I only know that I felt like I was dancing before God. I even remember the way I felt as a girl taking ballet lessons and losing myself in the joy of the movement. And now it was again like that elegant dance but this time, all to worship God. More proof of God’s unexpected healing.

And more kept coming. When I returned home and back to my office, all those things I’d been striving for didn’t matter anymore. And I don’t mean that they weren’t important—they are and they have their place in what God is calling me to do. They just didn’t define me anymore. My work for God no longer defined me. My relationship with Him and who He says I am now does. The rest is extra for Him and I to share together and my chance to give to others what He has so generously given me.

My entire world has changed. I used to structure my day by first starting with God, my quiet time of course, and then the rest of my day was about my work. My agenda. Now God is my agenda. I can’t figure out a better way to say it. All the work stuff—what matters gets done. But whatever God has planned for the day comes first.

I used to dread interruptions because they took me away from what I needed to get done. My agenda was priority. I truly wanted to be available to God but didn’t want it to be inconvenient. Now, as I walk through my days, I look for those interruptions! They are sweet times to see God at work in OUR lives (Not just mine. Yours too!) in a very real and tangible way and to be a part of that. To co-labor (love that word!) with God to reach the broken hearts He sets in our path at the most unexpected times.

And I will share one other place in my life that is radically changed. My fear is gone! Yes, that is the most radical area of my healing. Was your answer the same? Does your fear of what God might do or ask you to do limit Him? I know mine did.

My prayer life is very different now as well. I didn’t realize how big of a hold fear had in my life. The enemy had worked layer upon layer of fear in my life since I was a child. And that fear is what kept me from praying boldly and from understanding my authority in Jesus Christ.

Now I am learning to pray boldly in the Holy Spirit and I am seeing breakthroughs and answers to prayers. Areas of conflict in my life in which I normally would avoid rather than face, I now confront confidently and insist it be dealt with. This is an HUGE area for me!

My friends, let me emphasize that I did NONE of this! This is all God. He did this and is doing all this in me. I didn’t work at it, make a plan of action, set up a prayer regiment, or anything like that. I had been praying for God to make me bolder, like Paul. I wanted to be confident in Him and not afraid to step forward or to take a risk. I told God I was tired of being insecure and lacking confidence. What I didn’t realize is that was also part of God’s process in exposing what He wanted to heal in my life.

Please understand, this is about complete submission. My biggest prayer had been for more of God. I wanted more of Him in my life. I wanted Him to BE my life. The amazing thing is, God WANTS to do this in us and give Himself to us.

So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! — Luke 11:7

The emphasis in this verse is mine because this truth just stood out to me this week. We miss this last line thinking we get what Jesus is saying, that we are to ask God for what we need. But hear me right how, Jesus is saying the Father wants to give us something better.

Himself.

God wants to give us HIS HOLY SPIRIT. Not just to indwell us as part of our salvation, Christ living in us. But his very presence!

Because He is all we truly need. The rest will come, just trust Him for it. And I promise you, that may seem like an impossible thing to do, but when we want God’s presence more than anything in our lives—I mean truly crave it—the rest just isn’t as important anymore or you are confident in God’s provision and care.

Let that truth sink in deep, my precious friends. I will have to finish this blog post next week as it seems God had so much more for me to share than I realized. And I dare say next week will have more revelations—one in particular, the mystery of God’s love.

Join me next week and I will tell you what fear and love have in common. The answer just might surprise you. I know it did me.

Know that I love you with the heart of Jesus!
Dineen

God’s Unexpected Healing

I stood among many who could tell you at least one thing they wanted to be healed of. For now, we’d stood as community worshipping God in the late morning at Bethel Church. I still hoped that before I left this amazing place that God would heal me of a physical condition that I had lived with for over 10 years.

The pastor (Bill Johnson) that morning began to speak and then seemed to change direction. I can’t tell you everything he said. I only remember him speaking about the lie of insignificance and that some of us in the audience were struggling with it.

The next thing I remember is breaking down into sobs. In my mind I remember asking why, why was I crying? Hadn’t God dealt with this area of my life in the past, the years of hurt from a childhood filled with rejection? Lord, didn’t we already deal with this?

But the tears kept coming and whatever Bill Johnson said next ripped the lies of insignificance, fear, inadequacy, lack of confidence, insecurity and whatever else had festered in this hole in my heart that I had strived so hard to fill with success as a graphic designer, a writer, a speaker, a marketing expert and so many other attempts to excel and shine in just one place so I could confidently say, I had succeeded in at least one place of my life. The problem was, I never seemed to reach that imagined goal because every comparison I made told me otherwise.

Are you surprised to hear this? I had thought God and I had dealt with this pretty well. I knew I still had more ground to cover to be more confident and secure in myself. Yet there I stood that Friday morning as God’s unexpected presence wrapped me in His healing.

But wait. He wasn’t done.

I left the sanctuary literally spent and drained. All that crud that God took out of me left me wondering what would take its place. What did it all mean? I knew I felt lighter, freer than I ever had. But something felt...unfinished.

Lynn, Heidi and I quickly grabbed our lunches and found a picnic table on a grassy area. We’d only started to eat and talk when an older woman moved from a table behind us and took the open seat at ours. We welcomed her and found out her name was Helen Williams.

Again, I can’t tell you how it played out or everything that was said. I only remember saying that I felt like I was still reeling from what I’d experienced. Next thing I knew, this dear woman place her hand on my wrist and stared me right in the eye and said things like:

“Everything you need, God has already placed in you.”

And this one, this truth I cling to:

“It doesn’t matter what others think of you. It doesn’t even matter what YOU think of you. The only thing that matters is what God thinks of you.”

If you are wondering if I broke down in tears again, I did. Because God ALWAYS finishes what He starts. I don’t know about you, but have you noticed how God likes to finish BIG?

I have no doubts that God told Helen to come sit at our table for a reason. He’d healed me of my addictions to the approval and praise of people, and then He put His truth in its place. And He used this precious woman to do it. I will always be grateful to Helen for the words of life and truth she spoke into me, and I will always think of her as my spiritual grandmother.

There is one more major area that God healed me of that day, but that I will save for next week as I finish my story of God’s unexpected healing. I promise it’s worth the wait!

Carrying you in my heart!
Dineen

Restoring the Holy Spirit

My precious friends, I am overwhelmed with joy in all that God is doing in our SUM community right now. The response to His call to “re-sign” has been astounding! ASTOUNDING!!! I. Am. In. Awe. I have inbox full of these wonderful requests so please be patient with me as I pray through each one. I will reply to every single email.

I want to share so much of this crazy journey God has Lynn and I on. We both will be doing this in the days and weeks to come. And it will go onward, I dare say. So please come with us!

So, let me start at a beginning, a preparation that God sent to me for what was to come.

While I was in Hawaii, my husband and would go and watch the sunrise on the beach each morning, then I would sit on our patio and read my Bible and praise God until my hubby came back out to share breakfast with me.

On my first morning, this little bird came up to me (right at my feet!), made a kind of moan-humming noise, then clicking sounds, then he proceeded to tip forward and spread his tail feathers at me. I was delighted! I giggled! I thanked God for such a precious gift.

The next morning, this little guy came back and had breakfast with me, feasting on the crumbs I left on my plate. Then to my complete and total shock, he hopped onto my knee! And there he perched. I saw it as another precious delight from God.

Here I’d asked for one of those feathers Lynn had been talking about and God sent me the whole bird! (I still laugh on that one!) This showed me again that when we let go of what we think we need and/or want, and trust God with it, He gives us even more than we imagined or thought possible because we are no longer limiting His work in our lives and marriages.

What I didn’t fully understand at the time was that God intended to use this little bird, which turned out to be a Zebra Dove, to prepare my heart to receive even more. While Lynn and I were at the Open Heavens conference, Bill Johnson spoke of protecting the presence of the Holy Spirit and likened it to a dove sitting on our shoulder. He cautioned us to walk carefully in our faith and service to God lest the dove fly away.

I thought again of that Zebra Dove perched on my knee as stayed still and watched in wonder. I began to understand how I had limited the Holy Spirit in my life. How I had unknowingly shrugged His presence off years ago out of fear and pride and had not shown Him the respect He is was due.

I repented and confessed all this. I asked the Holy Spirit for forgiveness and asked Him to return to me. That I would do whatever He wanted to serve Him and others if He would just restore His presence over me (yes, Jesus’ Spirit still indwells me, but I had stopped His power from flowing through me).

I can only explain it as feeling like a floodgate burst open. His presence and power flooded over me! Chills ran down my body from head to foot, except I wasn’t cold and exhibited no bumps. And I remembered this—I remembered feeling His presence years ago as a fresh believer before I allowed my pride and fear to push Him away.

There’s still so much I’m learning about all this, but I do believe this is what the Bible speaks of when it says to “walk in the Spirit.” When we walk in the Spirit’s leading, we become very sensitive to the world around us. We begin to see it through the eyes of Christ and we come from a place of love. What breaks Jesus’ heart, breaks ours. Those He loves, we love too, which is everyone you see and meet! And we pray in strength and authority, instead of fear and doubt!

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self- discipline. — 2 Timothy 1:7

It is a strangely wonderful and beautifully overwhelming place that has radically changed how I live my faith. God healed me of some things deep in my heart and freed me during the Open Heavens conference. Just this week, I’ve called myself a Jesus-freak in reply to something my husband asked. His reaction? He just smiled. And another time when I was concerned over a personal issue and without a thought, I said to him, “If you believed in God, I’d ask you to pray for me.” My husband’s response was to ask what was wrong.

These are things I NEVER would have said to my husband before, because I was too afraid of his reaction or too concerned of what he might think of me. That is God, my friends. That is what happens when we give Him free reign in us to do what He wants. The Holy Spirit moves big time when we let go and trust Him.

Praying & believing,
Dineen

More Than Just Waiting, Part 2

Yesterday I left you with the question, what is the key to this? In other words, what is the key to worshiping God even as we wait?

Back up to verse Isaiah 40:26: “Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:”

What if that lift of our eyes is a constant state of awareness—constantly looking for God in our everyday lives? What if we looked for God’s hand and provision each day for the prayers we sent up just that morning. What if we waited expectantly for God to just show up in some way each and every day?

This is the abundant life, my friends! (John 10:10)

And this is where it takes a mental shift that I do so hope I’m explaining well enough. This is a place of worship because we have chosen to live our lives focused on God. God doesn’t revolve around us. We revolve around God in reverent waiting, birthed from a growing trust in Him to take care of us, a belief that our prayers will be answered, and the expectancy that God will do even more than we ask because we long for His presence more than anything else in our lives. This goes so beyond material provision—it affects every aspect of our lives.

It’s about wanting Jesus—God’s presence in our lives—more than anything else. Absolutely. Anything. Else.

I will share something that happened just this weekend. I’ve been praying about this aspect of worship in our waiting, about wanting more of God and less of me, and I did something I don’t do easily. I asked God to delight me.

It’s not easy for me because I struggle to ask for anything from anyone, not out of pride but out of fear. Yet I dared to ask God. As I drove in my car Saturday, I noticed a man cross the other side of the road to the center median. Now this is an 8-lane road. I’m in a center lane, just barely aware that he’s there.

Traffic slows a bit. The next thing I know, this man drops to his knees in the median and raises his arms in the air, all the way up. I can only stare in shock.

And then I start to cry. I don’t know why. I only know that I have just watched something profound. I could have easily just seen it as some oddball doing something strange, and believe me, I considered that. But I keep coming back to my reaction. I had no way of knowing what this was about but something deep inside me reacted to this man’s display.

I don’t know what happened that day. I do believe it was significant. I want to believe that God chose that moment to delight me, because nothing brings me to tears faster than when I watch someone worship God or give their hearts to God. I bawl like a baby.

With joy. With gratitude that God loves us that much. With worship that I too can experience that delight.

God is just waiting to show us things we can’t even begin to understand.

“Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” —Jeremiah 33:3

This verse is a part of my prayers now. And I’m asking God for another thing close to my heart—to allow me to hear Him sing over me (Zep 3:17).

I will leave you with this quote from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young:

When you walk through a day with childlike delight, savoring every blessing, you proclaim your trust in Me, your ever-present Shepherd. The more you focus on My presence with you, the more fully you can enjoy life. Glorify me through your pleasure in Me. Thus you proclaim my presence to the watching world.” (August 13th, Mathew 1:23; John 10:10-11)

And a prayerful Scripture:

1 To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in You I trust,
Do not let me be ashamed;
Do not let my enemies exult over me.
3 Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed;
Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.
4 Make me know Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
For You I wait all the day.
—Psalm 25:1-5

Praying & believing,
Dineen