full

 This week we begin worship with:

Isaiah 6:1-3

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.  

And one called to another and said: 

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”

Just as these greatest of celestial beings, the seraphim, cover their face with their folded wings in humility in the presence of God, we too fold our hands and close our eyes when we pray, for as we do, we enter the very throne room of God.

Hebrews 4:16

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

It would be appropriate that in our prayers today that we also mimic them and declare the immensity and purity of the glory that we see all around us.  For, just as the train of His robe fills the celestial temple, so too does God's glory fill our terrestrial home.

reward

This week we begin worship with:

Matthew 5:11–12

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Slow down.  Reread that first word, "Blessed".  Notice please that it is past-tense.  We have already been blessed.  It has already happened.  Find the word "is".  It is in the present tense.  Our reward is already prepared and waiting for us.

As a manager, I plan the year.  I give heroically challenging assignments to my best people.  I plan the rewards they are going to receive at year-end reviews.

God has planned it all.  He has both our rewards and our challenges waiting for us to experience them.  

Hebrews 11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

We pray to be protected.  Shouldn't we rather pray to be blessed?   And for the faith necessary for the day's assignment?