Day 22:: Wanting

Soundtrack: "Center" by Passion

For me, today was all about wanting...not necessarily living. I am still trying to figure out the transition between the two. How do I move from WANTING to live a life that fully worships and celebrates who God is to LIVING that kind of life? The human heart wants to be good many times but can't. We stand incapable of encountering God's righteousness...without His grace.

The Israelites remind me of Peter (who I most identify with out of the 12)...overzealous to overcommit with little follow-through. They want to say the right things and then live how they want. They want to say "God you are our God!" while they haven't let go of their foreign gods. This is an issue God doesn't take very well. He won't take lightly our fickle, wishy-washy behaviors and distractions. He's serious about them. Joshua makes them their own witnesses to their commitment so perhaps they could feel the weight of their words and understand what it means to make God their Lord.

Part of me wants to roll my eyes at Israel again while the other part of me is rooting for them. Afterall, they are just like me. I sing words (sincerely) to God in worship, journal commitments, make decisions...all for God and then so many times falter on what I have said. I feel like my heart is always like the Israelites here - wanting to worship God alone for all He's done...yet I need to come without qualification and with a pure heart (which I don't always do).

God, you know that so many times I come to worship you, I haven't left my false gods behind. So many times, I am just like Peter - screaming my love for you but not living out the love commitment of every second of every day. But God, I believe my heart is pure right now...I want to worship YOU! I want my life to be a picture of what it means to serve you and live for you. Show me how I can make this an "unqualified yes?" Show me what I need to get rid of...
-The pride that turns to insecruity
-The pride that leads to resentment
-The pride that leads to trusting myself
Show me the road away from these false gods today, Lord.