Time of Preparation
Begin by taking inventory of your surroundings. Are things in your vicinity conducive to a time of personal worship? Are there any changes or adjustments (turning off tech, making yourself comfortable) you need to make before you begin?
When you are ready, take some time to sit in silence and prepare your heart for worship. Ask God to clear away any distractions that might keep you from being truly present in this moment.
Commission
In this final movement, we are encouraged and equipped for the work God would have us do.
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory
that will be revealed in us.”
—Romans 8:18 (NIV)
Today’s song appeared a while back on the Facebook page of someone who today knows the fullness of what Paul writes in Romans 8:18. I happened on it as I scrolled through her page, reading about the struggles of so many years that are now finished. What struck me in every post was that despite hardship I can’t begin to understand, her love for Jesus never wavered. Sometimes we are humbled by those who trust Jesus so completely even in the midst of many “present sufferings.”
To trust when things are relatively easy is a good and faithful thing. To trust when things are painfully hard is a gift and a witness. For all those who have modeled trust to us in the most difficult times, we are thankful. And we pray, “Lord grow that kind of trust in us.”
SONG OF COMMISSION: ‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus (lyrics here)