Attitude!

Attitude!

Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Psalms 100:2 KJV

As I read the words of today's extract, there is a decision to be made. Do I view these words as advice or command? I believe that my reaction or response to God flows from my understanding of who He is. If I know him as the mighty man of war, or the Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, it is a reminder of the awesome power of the One I have been called to know, approach and worship. It is not a call to be taken lightly.

We claim God is our friend, which is true. He calls me friend so I can be free to approach Him, but nothing takes away my work ethic or stops my sense of responsibility. God does not call me to a life of reckless inactivity but to a life of faithful service. It then matters how I approach this call to service. Do I do it with joy or out of a sheer sense of duty? You can deceive man with outward platitudes and hypocrisy, but we deal with the creator of the human heart, so nothing is hidden from his eyes. Men may applaud and praise but God's opinion is the key factor. If He accepts you and your service, it really doesn't matter what men say. If God doesn't accept it, then it really doesn't matter what men say or do.

I approach God's Presence with the right attitude. He is not my everyday buddy, who I can ignore on busy days and maybe call on only in an emergency. At least, that is not what He wants from us. He wants us to come to Him with joy in our hearts and songs on our lips. If I sit down and think deeply, I may just not be able to cover anything else except to praise and thank Him for all the mighty things He has done for me.

So I consider today's extract as both counsel and command. It is the best route for me if I will be all that God intends for me. With all the drama going on in the world today, I will not take the opportunity of access for granted, but will do all I can do maximize the benefit. Don't bother with trying to impress the world first; work on your relationship with God. The world will always know when a person has encountered God. His time of favour is here.