Day 12: Anonymity
Read: Psalm 23
Anonymous: meaning "without a name" or "namelessness" (Wikipedia).
lacking individuality, distinction, or recognizability (Merriam -
Webster dictionary)
My friends,
Last night was a
glorious night of celebration for the parents and children who attended
our Vacation Bible School. The music was wonderful, the videos, the
dancing of the children (adults too) in the aisles. Everybody who was
present really got into the swing of just having fun with each other and
above all that they were praising God. They were celebrating the
awesome presence of God that week. Wow!
And well they should
celebrate the presence of God in their lives and the life of Christ's
church at Hiss. It was absolutely powerful and completely inspirational.
It was obvious to all who were present, most of whom are known to each
other through family, neighbors and members of the community, and being
members of our church. There is something marvelous about celebrations,
at least last nights, there was nothing anonymous about it. People knew
each other, they talked to each other, they shared their joy with each
they drew closer to or deeper into their relationship with an ever
present God who knows and loves all. GOD is truly good.
Last
night, I found a new and wonderful reason to celebrate - people told my
wife Sharon that they love me dearly. When I learned this my heart was
filled to the brim with happiness. And why would it not be for learning
that someone loves you is a powerfully heart warming experience. Love
builds up your spirits as nothing else can do. It forms powerful bonds
of lasting friendships. There is some great sadness in the knowledge of
learning someone loves me - I do not know who to love back. I do not
know who to thank for taking the time to walk over to my wife and warm
her heart for their anonymous (at least to me) expression of their
loving her husband.
And this is the message with God and this
wonderful Psalm. God loves you deeply. God loves you up close and very
personal. And above all else -- God wants you to know it in unmistakable
ways. God wants to stand beside you, with you, for the purpose of
saying "I love you" through his loving presence in answered prayer. God
does not want His love for us to be anything close to anonymous. He
wants you to know absolutely completely who it is that loves you
unconditionally. Our God is never an anonymous God who will ever choose
to remain unknown to any of His children.
The 23rd Psalm is an
extraordinarily and deeply intimate prayer. The writer of the Prayer -
David, and anyone who prays this today, knows deeply in their heart that
God is not anonymous. God wants relationship with you and He wants you
to know Him, who he is, in the bonds of deepest love. And this Psalm
does just that, it draws us into that deeply personal and intimate
relationship and God knows who you are.
The Lord of Love, the
ever visible, ever vigilant Shepherd loves you and me and praise the
Lord there is nothing anonymous about that. Share your faith. Testify to
the love of your Shepherd. Please do not keep your love for Him
anonymous. Please do not keep it to yourself. Let others come into
loving relationship with God through your love for Him. Strive to keep
your faith journey any thing but anonymous.
Every reason not to do so is listed quite eloquently in the verses of Psalm 23.
So I leave that as your prayer this morning. Pray the 23rd Psalm with
someone today. Let them know, that they don't have to feel anonymous
with God and that they are not anonymous to God. Pray for those moments
when anonymity reigns in your heart. Pray for those moments when you or
others feel being anonymous is the only way to get through life. Pray
for God to strengthen you through such times as these.
Let us Pray:
Lord, please don't be anonymous to me or my family today. Please help
my love for you be known to all I may meet today. Let me bare witness to
the great and glorious blessings you have bestowed upon me and my
house. Let my life be an open book of testimony to Your great love for
us. This day and forever more. In Christ's name.
http://www.youtube.com/
All The Way
www.youtube.com
All
The Way All the way my Savior leads me; What have I to ask beside? Can I
doubt His tender mercy, Who through life has been my guide?
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