Pick Up Cross & Praise
Lift your hands and praise the Lord for He is God. Lift your cross daily as you lose the earthly and gain the eternal.
“King Solomon ruled over all Israel. Solomon had twelve district governors…who supplied provisions for the king…The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy….and had peace on all sides…lived in safety, everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree. God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding…Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people…He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop…He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish.” 1 Kings 4:1-33
Can you hear the birds chirping? Solomons reign was marked by peace, prosperity, and provision. The people could hear even the birds singing. Each person was satisfied and saw the blessings of being ruled by a wise king. Solomon empowered people to carry out the work that needed to be done and he focused on learning. He spoke wisely, sang joyfully, and studied broadly.
The root word for disciple means someone who learns. Solomon was a learner. Solomon studied God. He saw God's hand in everything. It has been said that every ology is a branch of theology. God is the Maker of all mankind and mystery. If we are to be followers of Jesus, disciples of Jesus, should we not also be like Solomon? Should we not always be learning and growing? How could we better control our time so we give up the earthly patterns and gain the eternal life? Are you willing to trade scrolling for studying?
“I will exalt you, my God the King; Every day I will praise you…Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They tell of the power of your awesome works and I will proclaim your great deeds. They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom…The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down…you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.” Psalms 145:1-22
Of all the ways you could spend your time today the best use of your time is to worship the Lord God. There is a tangible effect on our mind, body, and spirit when we worship. When we stand in awe of God, we are changed from the inside out. Do you want more joy? Do you want more peace? Do you want more the best portion of God’s presence? Praise Him. Fix your eyes on the eternal and everything in your life will change for the better.
David offered up an interesting duality in this song. He sang about what others do and then what he would do. David praised God’s faithfulness, goodness, grace, and generosity. He saw it everywhere. He looked and heard it from every mouth that had eyes to see and ears to hear.
David did something wise. He took it a step further and he made a personal decision to praise. You might think your voice doesn’t matter. You might think you don’t need to join the choir. You might not think you have the talent or the time. But, the Bible says that every voice matters and you have a song that only you can sing. You have love that only you can bring.
Where have you been letting others carry the load rather than personally committing to carry your cross? Where is God calling you to worship with what He has given you? God always makes it personal and speaks to each one of our hearts by asking who He is to you.
“The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun. Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days God…has given you under the sun…Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might”
Ecclesiastes 9:3-10
Solomon started this chapter by saying you are going to die. How do you receive that truth? How does it impact your thinking? If you step back and look at all of the emotional, physical, and spiritual energy you spend every day; if you look at how you spend your time; is it well spent? Listen to Solomon’s words.
He said all the time you spend on drama, anger, and anxiety, offense and unforgiveness, lusts and longing all leads to nothing. All of that noise will be silenced and forgotten. Have you ever thought about the fact that no one in the future is going to care about 99% of the things that you currently care about? This is a reality check and should challenge us to re-evaluate how we are letting fear and the world around us influence our hearts.
What will people remember? The love you create. People will remember where you sacrificed and the ways you served others. Solomon said always be clothed in white and anoint your head with oil, eating and drinking with gladness and joy in your heart. He said do your best with whatever you do. Are you? Are you giving your best in everything? God never wanted us to walk around suffering from the weight of sin being scared of everything that might go wrong. That is not the kingdom of God.
Jesus said kingdom of God is like a wedding feast. It is a treasure hunt for the eternal. Think of how Solomon pursued learning and seeking. Solomon is giving great wisdom for how to not waste your life. You can either have the pain of sacrifice while you fulfill your purpose or the pain of regret. Pain now or pain later. Either way you travel there is a cost.
The Bible says where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. Jesus said he came to set us free. Both Solomon and Jesus were pointing to an eternal life, the kingdom of God, a life of freedom. Solomon was saying if you want to find the kingdom you have to let go of the earthly. In order to be free you have to let go of what keeps you from being free. Where are you not free?
There is a better way to live. A way where you are Spirit led and find satisfaction all the time with the work of your hands. There’s a way that is surrounded by love and sees how God is always moving. It takes eyes to see but when you learn to look at life differently, you will see the abundant goodness of God. It is the goodness that David sang about and the people experienced in Solomon’s day. It is what we can experience today if we pick up our cross and follow Jesus.
“This is what the Lord says— he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid…For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Do not tremble, do not be afraid. You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.” All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Who shapes a god and casts an idol, which can profit nothing? From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. No one stops to think…Shall I bow down to a block of wood? Such a person feeds on ashes; a deluded heart misleads him; Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?” “Remember these things…I have made you, you are my servant; Israel, I will not forget you. I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” Sing for joy, you heavens…I am the Lord, the Maker of all things…He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please” Isaiah 44:1-28
The wise person listens to the truth. God spoke through Isaiah and said do not fear for I will help you. I will pour out my spirit on you and bless your descendants. I will redeem you and remove your sins. I am the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and earth, I am the only God. Return to me and sing the songs of the redeemed. Like Solomon said sing songs of joy with gladness in your heart. Truth tells us that Jesus has clothed us in white and anointed our heads with oil with what He did on the cross. Isaiah referenced the redeemer, the Shepherd, God’s only Son.
Truth warned us not to turn to idols or worship false gods. What are the most common false gods? Things that are made by human hands. Money and man made things that can never give you life and easily lead you astray. Isaiah asked why do people not stop to consider whether it is true of false? He wondered why people waste their lives and waste their worship. They did not see that trading their soul for earthly possessions profits them nothing. This passage is a perfect foreshadowing of Jesus’ teaching about dying to self. God wants us to evaluate our hearts to see if we are seeking treasure that will last.
“Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees…Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember?…They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man…He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”…Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah”…Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Mark 8:15-37
Look at the connections in scripture today. Solomon sought wisdom and learned to see the world through God’s eyes. David lifted his voice in praise and found joy in God’s presence. Isaiah called God’s people to turn from worthless idols and return to their Redeemer where they would find songs of joy. Jesus opened blind eyes, revealed that He is the Messiah, and invited every disciple to take up their cross and follow Him. Each passage points to the same truth: there is a personal decision that must be made with the time, talent, and treasure you have been given. Will you lift your hands and praise the Lord? Will you choose to lift your cross and follow Jesus wherever He might lead? As we let go of the earthly, God opens our eyes to the eternal.
Jesus taught us that worship is more than the songs we sing; it is the surrender we bring. Every day we choose whether to cling to what is passing away or to invest in what will last forever. Every act of obedience, every quiet sacrifice, every moment spent seeking His face is never wasted. The world teaches us to hold tightly to comfort, possessions, and pride; but Jesus teaches us to open our hearts so He can fill it with something far greater His Spirit. The Spirit gives us gladness in our hearts, sees the goodness of God , and shows us how to live in a way that is satisfying as we lived out our salvation.
There is no better way to live than with your eyes fixed on Jesus. He the Shepherd foretold by Isaiah, the Messiah Peter confessed, and the Savior who carried His cross so that we would be set free to love. He asked, "Who do you say I am?" He asks us the same question. If you declare in your heart that He is Lord and believe He is the eternal King then lift your hands in praise and lift your cross in obedience. Lose what cannot last so that you may gain what can never be taken away. Life with the King and entrance into the Kingdom.