Morning of Praise- November 16th- Marshall First Christian Church

A couple of evenings ago, the praise team had rehearsal for the “Morning of Praise” which is coming up this Sunday, November 16th, during the 9:45 and 11:15 services. At practice we played a song that we haven’t played in ages called “Step by Step”. Since then, the second verse, of that song, has been playing over and over in my head. It says this:

Sometimes I think of Abraham
How one star he saw had been lit for me
He was a stranger in this land
And I am that, no less than he
And on this road to righteousness
Sometimes the climb can be so steep
I may falter in my steps
But never beyond Your reach

The part that has primarily been going through my brain is the line that says, “He was a stranger in this land, and I am THAT no less than he.” How true that is.

As I walk through this life, one of my greatest desires is that I stay “Step by Step” with God. I fear that in my pridefulness I will decide to take things into my own hands and run ahead of Him. Or the opposite, that in my stubbornness I will disobey, and fall behind Him. I know that it is best for me to stay step by step with God.

If you are alive and reading this right now, :-) I can guarantee you that God has a purpose for your life. It is His desire to not only reveal that to you, but to guide you step by step through it.

In Psalm 119, the heart cry of the Psalmist also seems to be a desire to walk step by step with God. You can hear his passion as he beckons God with requests such as these…

Psalm 119:33,34
God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course. Give me insight so I can do what you tell me—my whole life one long, obedient response.
And this…

65-74 Be good to your servant, God; be as good as your Word. Train me in good common sense; I'm thoroughly committed to living your way. Before I learned to answer you, I wandered all over the place, but now I'm in step with your Word. You are good, and the source of good; train me in your goodness. With your very own hands you formed me; now breathe your wisdom over me so I can understand you…

If you desire to get in step with God, and/or to stay in step with God, then I invite you to prepare your heart for worship Sunday as we pray/sing our way through Psalm 119..

Psalm 119:1-8 You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You're blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That's right—you don't go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set.

I can’t wait to worship with you.
Missy



Further reference: When the song speaks of one star being “lit for me”, the writer is referencing Genesis 15:1-6

1 Sometime later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.”
2 But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. 3 You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.”
4 Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” 5 Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”
6 And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.

Words to Live By

God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you. If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

Don't just pretend that you love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically.

Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful. When God's children are in need, be the one to help them out. And get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner or, if they need lodging, for the night.

If people persecute you because you are a Christian, don't curse them; pray that God will bless them. When others are hapy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share their sorrow. Live in harmony with each other. Don't try to act important, but enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all!

Romans 12:6-16

Great Posts

Hey There,

I've enjoyed reading some fellow Sistas' perspective on all of this election stuff. So if you're looking for good words on the election...you might check out the following blogs. Lysa's, Rachel's, Beth Moore's. Those are just the one's I've had time to see today.

Caught by the Paparazzi

Ahhh, that stinkin' paparazzi caught me hangin' out with Uncle John tonight. :-)

I was having some fun times with Maren at the mall!! I couldn't pass up the opportunity for a photo on election night. :-)

(be nice Stephanie or I'm telling Uncle John Cutshall)

Inspirational Message

An inspirational message for my friends:

You light up my life, you give me hope, to carry on. You light up my days, and fill my nights with songs. It can't be wrong, when it feels so right. You light up my life.

There, now you all should feel better.