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Personal Space
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“You will never know as he looks upon his son.”
in the heart of a father
—Kent Nerburn
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How authentic are you with God?
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Thursday > 7/9
God wants it all.
D
o we have any overachievers out there? You know who I’m talking
about. It’s the student who always waves her hand in class to answer
the teacher’s question as if she’s working air traffic control. It’s the guy who
goes above and beyond in his chores to please mom and dad—even tackling
the disgusting jobs no one else wants. You know exactly to whom I’m referring.
Think about every area of your life. Are you that person in any of those places?
Read Micah 6:6-8 and really pay
attention to verse 8.
�  According to these verses, what
does the Lord require of us?
�  Now pick these things apart and
match them to your life. Are you
fulfilling the requirements?
� Where could you improve?
�  Look over the list of sacrifices and displays of devotion listed in this passage
as you consider verse 8. How does what God wants compare to these things?
�  What does God want from you?
“He has told you men
what is good and what it is
the L ord requires of you:
Only to act justly, to love
faithfulness, and to walk
humbly with your God.”
—Micah 6:8
You
are His
joy.
14  |  jul 2009  ec  magazine
God doesn’t require you to slaughter a lamb and prepare it as a burnt sacrifice
for your sins each week. He doesn’t ask you to shave your head and commit
your whole life to serving Him in a monastery in the remotest parts of Europe.
He won’t ever ask you to quote at least 100 verses of Scripture back to Him each
night before bed.
He doesn’t need your big, over-the-top displays of devotion. He just wants
you—ALL of you. Micah told us exactly what God wants from you. More than
anything else, He wants your holiness, obedience, loyalty, and love while
walking in a close, daily relationship with Him.
Friday > 7/10
Don’t be fake.
Y
ou go to church every
Sunday. You sit in the
uncomfortable chair or pew for at least
an hour. You sing the same hymns and
songs you did last week. You hear a
sermon. You leave and go home. Next
week, you come back to do it all again.
Does this sound like your worship
routine, or do you go deeper?
“God is spirit, and those
who worship Him must
worship in spirit and truth.”
—John 4:24
Take a look at John 4:21-24. Then, go
back and reread verse 24.
�  What does it mean to worship in
spirit and truth?
�  Is your worship rehearsed from week
to week? Why or why not?
�  How can you worship God intimately
in spirit and truth?
�  What steps will you take in order to
do so?
Jesus had this intense conversation at
high noon one day with a Samaritan
woman who was drawing water from
a well. He confronted her about her
worship style, saying, “You worship
guessing in the dark . . . It’s who you are
and the way you live that count before
God” (John 4:22-23, The Message).
Jesus said the Father wants
“those who are simply and honest ly
themselves before Him in their worship
. . . [They] must do it out of their very
being, their spirits, their true selves,
in adoration” (John 4:23b-24, The
Message).
People get too caught up in worship
styles—what to do and what not to do,
what to sing or not to sing, and what to
wear. These minor things have actually
caused churches to split. God cares
about these trivial things—but more
than those, over everything, He simply
desires your pure, unfiltered praise and
adoration. He just wants the true you to
worship the true Him.
ec  magazine  jul 2009  |  15