Rise & Shine!

Rise and shine! The path of the righteous shines brighter every day as God leads us in doing His will.

“The Levites thirty years old or more were counted, and the total number of men was thirty-eight thousand. David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand are to be in charge of the work of the temple…six thousand are to be officials and judges. Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the Lord with the musical instruments…The duty of the Levites was to help…the performance of other duties at the house of God. They were in charge of the bread set out on the table…They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord. They were to do the same in the evening…They were to serve before the Lord regularly…in the way prescribed for them. And so the Levites carried out their responsibilities…for the service of the temple of the Lord.”1 Chronicles 23:1-32

What did God make you to do? What are your strengths? How were you made to serve the Lord? Levites had four main choices for career paths: doing whatever was needed for the temple, helping organize and lead, gatekeeping, and praising with instruments. Which of these would you circle if you met with your career counselor in ancient Israel?

Loving the Lord often looks a lot more like loving others by doing little things that you can to help the greater good than anything you might see celebrated on social media. The life of the one who served the Lord involved cooking and cleaning, picking up garbage, and doing whatever was needed. How do you look at your daily duties? Do you see each item on your to-do list as a way to praise the Lord by doing His will?

Life in their community was a continual pattern of serving and praising. In the morning and in the evening, the people gave thanks to God and praised His name. Gratitude unlocks joy, and we were meant to experience the joy of the Lord each day as we dwell with Him and do what He gave us to do. Do you see your daily duties as a gift from God?

“From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. For you, God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever; appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him. Then I will ever sing in praise of your name and fulfill my vows day after day.” Psalms 61:1-8

David prays an inverse prayer. He prays the opposite of what you would expect. David said, I call as my heart grows faint, that God would lead him to the rock that is higher. At first glance, this may sound good, but it doesn’t really make sense. When you are weak, the last thing you want is to go rock climbing. When you are weak, you want to crawl into your bed and sleep.

David looked at life differently. He asked for something that could only be accomplished if God strengthened him and led the way. The higher rock is a safer place and has a better perspective, but it involves putting in some serious work to get there. They did not have elevators or escalators in David’s day. He was going to have to get there by taking one step at a time, just doing the next thing God said to do. Are you willing to travel the difficult, narrow road, doing whatever God says, if it will take you to new life?

David knows what he needs most is God’s presence. His prayer is to draw close to God, dwelling in His tent and being enthroned in His presence. Before we go face the world or fight battles, we need to be filled with God’s presence. We need the Holy Spirit to speak and strengthen us. Just like the Levites, morning and night, we need to make room for God. Have you built margin into your life so that God can give you the strength to do what He wants?

Before David ever fulfills his vows and does what he knows God made him to do, he spends time with God. The same is true for his praise. Before he praises God, he spends time in His presence. All the love that we ever give, all the ways in which we serve, all of these are meant to flow out of a place of wholeness after we dwell with the One who knows what we need.

“The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Cherish her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”Proverbs 4:7-27

If you think of life as a progression from glory to glory, you can reshape the way in which you approach what you do each day. From the moment we were born until the day we die, we were made to do God’s will. Our lives are meant to keep moving forward. Solomon said as you walk and live out your calling, you would do well to do it in a way that honors God. Solomon said in order for you to be effective, you need to be instructed. You need the wisdom that comes from God.

Ask yourself if you are taking enough time to seek wisdom before you walk. How often are you in a hurry? It is very difficult to be in a hurry and stay holy. God wants us to build margin in our lives so we reflect the love of Christ as we work, serve, and travel the path we are on.

Solomon said that your path, the path of the righteous, is like the sun. It shines brighter because it does what God tells it. The sun does not deviate from doing God’s will. Imagine what would happen if the sun did not travel on the same path each day. Disaster would come upon the Earth, and death would be everywhere. The same is true for us. God designed us to fulfill our role according to His wisdom and ways. So many of us get off track because we try to do things in our own strength according to the way we like things done. Where have you been doing what you want rather than focusing on what God wants?

One of the most famous verses in the Bible is in this chapter: Above all else, guard your heart. But Solomon does not stop there. He continues with practical instruction. He also said, watch your mouth, be careful and thoughtful about how and where you walk, fix your eyes on God, and stay faithfully steadfast in your ways.

How does this chapter apply to your life? Have you been guarding your heart? What gets into your head gets into your heart. What are you watching, and what are you listening to? It is out of our hearts that our mouths speak. What words are flowing from your heart? Are your eyes fixed on Jesus, and are you faithfully doing what God requires?Jesus said broad and wide is the road that leads to destruction. Narrow is the road that leads to life. We do not accidentally or unintentionally end up in heaven.

Jesus said abide with Me and pick up your cross daily. So there is both a dwelling and a doing involved in those who desire to honor the Lord with their lives.

“Why bring such great disaster on yourselves…None of the remnant of Judah who have gone to live in Egypt will escape or survive to return…Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods…said to Jeremiah, “We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord!…At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm. But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine.””Jeremiah 44:7-18

God gave the people who were worshiping other Gods and were unwise in how they were living a warning. He said don’t travel down that path. It leads to pain. Disaster is on the other side of being dumb and doing whatever you want. But the people did not listen. They evaluated their choices based on their circumstances. Do you see the danger in this approach?

The people said it went well for us when we were sinning, so why should we change? We had enough to eat, and things were good. In fact, when we didn’t worship the false God, we experienced suffering.

If your devotion to Jesus relies on life being easy, you are in for a rude awakening. There is nothing easy about carrying your cross or dying to yourself. There is nothing easy about losing your life and sacrificing or serving. Solomon said regardless of the cost, seek wisdom and what God wants. The people in this passage said the opposite.

They said the cost is too great, so we are on cruise control. Comfort can have that effect on your faith. Where have you gotten comfortable? Where have you allowed your circumstances to impact your commitment to Christ? Make no mistake, the road of disobedience leads to destruction. Solomon said the way of the wicked leads to darkness and separation.

“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them…after they fasted and prayed…and sent them off…Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors…for about forty years he endured their conduct in the wilderness…God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul…After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ “From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised. Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed…they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead…I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin…When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy…They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. So they shook the dust off their feet…And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 13:2-52

The text says that Saul and Barnabas were set apart to do God’s will. It said they spent time with God, then they were sent. It said they were led by the Spirit and shared the good news of Jesus. Do you see what is missing in the story? God never gives Paul or Barnabas permission to do nothing or whatever they felt like. He does not tell them the full roadmap of where they will go, nor does He have them spend years preparing to be sent.

If you were to get ready to go on a missionary trip with no end date given, what would you do to get ready? Would you spend hours rehearsing your message? Would you spend hours packing your stuff? Some people pack two suitcases for a two-day trip. Is that you? Why? Is it not because we want to make sure that our circumstances are comfortable?

What if God is calling us to the higher rock? What if He is okay with weakness because He is our strength? What if God wants us to spend more time longing to dwell with Him and then listening to the Holy Spirit tell us what to do than making sure we do not break a sweat?

Is it possible that we need to change our thinking? Is it possible that we need to guard our hearts, fix our eyes on Jesus, and then walk where He leads us by His wisdom? All specifically shared about David, who was a man after God’s own heart. God always brings things back to our heart. What’s the state of your heart today?

Are you willing to do what Paul and Barnabas did if God asks you to go and share with others? How will you respond to the opposition or persecution or pressure that you face today? Will you stay steadfast and surrendered so others will continue to see the light of Christ within you no matter the circumstances? Or will you allow your emotions to cause you to react in ways that are not Christlike?

Paul and Barnabas wiped the dust off their feet and were filled with joy, led by the Holy Spirit, even after being attacked by jealous Jews. This is how we shine brighter like the morning sun. When our focus shifts from our personal preferences or comforts to pursuing God’s presence and receiving His wisdom so we can walk the path set before us, that is when we shine.

God made you to shine. Light shines brightest in the darkness. We live in a world with a lot of darkness, which is all the more reason He needs light bearers. He wants you to know that you are uniquely and wonderfully made. He wants you to dwell with Him and draw closer so that He can strengthen you. He wants to take you to a higher rock, give you wisdom that changes your perspective and aligns with His purposes. He wants to light your steps and lift your eyes so that you would do what He made you to do.

So take your place in the heavenly choir. Recognize you have a calling all your own and a Savior in Christ who calls you by name. Draw close to Him by giving thanks and praising in the morning, walk where He leads, do the work, then praise Him in the evening out of a guarded heart filled with the joy of the journey.