Perspective 6-26-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. "Open my eyes, let me see. Here I am to worship; here I am to bow down; here I am to say that You're my God. ..." Thank You for waking me with this song of worship going through my mind and rising up in my spirit this morning. ... To open our eyes is to give us Your perspective -- to see more as You see, to seek more what You seek. Lord, give us Your perspective, Your worldview. Cause the things that break Your heart to break our heart; cause the things that bring You joy to bring us joy. This is the attitude we desire, the heart we desire, the way of life we desire. Even the desire for these things is by the grace You place in a heart that's willing to embrace it. "The Lord looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God" (Psalm 14.2). To seek after You is to seek Your ways, Your purposes, Your heart -- to seek to be more like You. Yet we acknowledge that our ways are not yet like Your ways and our thoughts are not yet like Your thoughts. So, You call us to seek You, because in the seeking we are changed. In looking for You, our eyes are opened. "Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that He may have mercy on them, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, not are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than you ways and My thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55.6-9). This is where we begin, but this is not where we are to end. You have called us to grow in the wisdom of Your ways as we grow in spiritual maturity. "But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into Him Who is the head, into Christ" (Ephesians 4.15). We are to "grow in the knowledge of the Lord" and "be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding" so that "we may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him" (Colossians 1.9-10). Though we have not yet fully "known the mind of the Lord," we are called to "have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2.16). Forgive us for settling for less. Forgive us for embracing our lack of wisdom and knowledge of Your thoughts and Your ways. Free us from the complacency of our spiritual laziness. Deliver us from the deception of our spiritual blindness. Open our eyes to see You as we seek You. Open our minds to grow in Your wisdom and Your ways. Feed us with Your Word and fill us with Your Spirit, as we bow down and worship You. "Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation--if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good" (1 Peter 2.2-3). By Your grace, let us grow in Your perspective. Open our eyes, and let us see. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!