Bring on the peace!
Posted by Windy Desmond on February 21, 2010
Ron preached a great sermon this week from James 4:13-17. James never pulls any punches, you know? James talks a lot in this passage about what Ron calls “Presumptuous Planning.” Basically, making up your mind about what you are going to do without taking God’s desires into account. Making your own plans and not even considering that God’s might be superior. (Aren’t they always??) In dialoguing this week with the Lord, He showed me that one of the things that He wants for me, and the worship team, and our Church Family is peace instead of worry.
I see this concept relating to this passage in James. Why do we make these plans? Why do we decide, on our own, what needs to be done and how we need to do it? For me, at least, a big part of it is because I worry about the future both immediate and far reaching. I feel the drive to make plans to avoid pain, and waste, and heartache, and boredom, etc. I wonder if the way that the Lord wants to deal with those worries is different than the plans that I try to make? I think I know the answer to that one! God’s peace comes with giving our fruitless plans to Him and allowing Him to guide our paths.
Our response song this week was Refiner’s Fire. Here are some of the words:
Purify my heart, let me be as gold and precious silver.
Purify my heart, let me be as gold – pure gold.
The only way to choose God’s peace over worry, His plans over our own, is to ask him to purify and refine us as we follow him. The more that we come to Him and pursue His will, His thoughts, and His heart, the more we will see the plans and purposes that He has for us that are so much better than the ones that we think up. The more that we do this, the easier it will become. The more that we do this, we will remember to come to the Lord. Father, I do ask You to purify my heart.
The last verse in this passage gives us an even bigger warning than “presumptuous planning.” It hit me pretty hard this week when I was meeting with God to plan our worship service. More to come later…
Here are the lyrics for Refiner’s Fire:
Purify my heart, let me be as gold and precious silver.
Purify my heart, let me be as gold – pure gold.
Refiner’s Fire, my heart’s one desire, is to be holy – set apart for You Lord.
I choose to be holy – set apart for You my Master, ready to do Your will.Purify my heart, cleanse me from within and make me holy.
Purify my heart, cleanse me from my sin – deep within.
Refiner’s Fire, my heart’s one desire, is to be holy – set apart for You Lord.
I choose to be holy – set apart for You my Master, ready to do Your will.
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