Appreciate it!

Every once and a while- we need to stop and take inventory of our heart. Why? Well, the Bible recommends it Proverbs 4:23 CSB Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life. We can get in such a habit of just "living life" in our routine that we think that we are ok; when we really aren't. We constantly have to be checking our heart out and keeping it in line!
Psalms 107:43b 
 it's time you appreciated God's deep love.
One thing that I have found that helps me enter into a time of worship is that I take the time to think about God's love and how it is unlike anything that we know on earth- . We can't really relate it to anything that we have on earth- not the love of a family member or a best friend- because, while those types of "love" are great- they have limitations. The fact that God has a limitless love for each person- no matter their situation, their circumstance- IS MIND BLOWING! His desire is to be loved in the same way that He loves us- not that He needs our love- He wants it. His love is limitless towards us. Is our love limitless towards Him? OR do we get upset when we don't get an answer to a prayer and withhold our love? Do we let our physical bodies, our emotions, our day, our children/spouse/friends dictate how/when we worship? Our love is hitting some limitations. We have a strange way of thinking in our faith that God becomes disillusioned because people don't worship Him- Not true. He doesn't. If we don't- other aspects of creation will (Luke 19:40). He doesn't need our worship- He'd like it- but he doesn't need it- and He didn't call us to Him to feel obligated to worship. 


But out of our heart- we should have such a respect, a thankfulness, an awe, a reverence, an appreciation for who He is- He is love. He is healing. He is Comfort.- and what He has done for us- redeeming our souls from hell. paying a costly price in order to give us a gift- that He never had to give- and putting up with our fickle ways- our emotions, our stubbornness, etc. that we can't help but out of the gratitude in our hearts begin to worship- and it's not just a Sunday/Wednesday corporate thing that we do.... (although when we get together in a church service- we should worship together) but it's an everyday realization of this gift that we have been given. It's the realization of this priceless gift and our response. How is our response? Is it hurried? Is it enthusiastic? Is it with a sense of duty (aka: "have to"? Is it with abandonment of our pride, fear and will? Or is our response to such a radical love guarded? timid? or restrained? 


Nobody can worship God like you can. like the Psalm 107:43 said: "it's time that you appreciate God's love..." A love that never fails (Psalms 16), never gives up (1 Corinthians 13:4), and never runs out (Psalms 107:1-2) So think about it this week- how can you change your worship to show your appreciation for all that God has done for you?