Not Just a Holy Santa Claus

Have you ever thought about what God is to us? Have you ever wondered when we pray, what are we praying? When I was a kid, we were taught the acronym P-Praise R-Repent A- Ask  Y-Yield. I have been using this format with my kids when we pray. Sometimes it is so hard to pray this way because you have to really look inward and humble yourself. God is no longer just a holy Santa Claus. That is what kids do, you know, they have their "wish list" for the Lord and list it all out every night. Sometimes this overflows into our adult prayer habits. Tonight the Lord led me to this little passage and it struck me as an important component of a healthy relationship with God. 

Psalm 105:4-6New International Version (NIV)

4 Look to the Lord and his strength;
    seek his face always.

5 Remember the wonders he has done,
    his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
6 you his servants, the descendants of Abraham,
    his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.

Sometimes the circumstances in our life are like a blaring stop sign.

This year has been like that for me personally. It is so easy to say "Look to the Lord" when things are going good yet it is when things are not going so great that is when  we need to "seek his face always".

I am very moved by verse five which says remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, 

I can hear the Holy Spirit whispering to me:  remember the good times but also remember the pain. Remember how it put you on your face in full desperation for God to have mercy! 

Yet here I am I am still his servant, a descendant of Abraham, his chosen one, a child of  Jacob, ingrafted into the vine, by the grace of God. He did not turn me away in  my moments of shame. In fact, he still sang over me and comforted me with his love. He never leaves me in the storm. He is with me in the good times too- but somehow as I am lead by the spirit, I am more convinced  more  than ever that remembering his judgements has a way of keeping us balanced with a holy fear of God. It is a way to keep us walking the narrow way.

 It seems like we all want to boast of his miracles and wonders, we want to brag of the things he has done and that is well and good! He is a good God, worthy of our praise! But without the judgments there is nothing to measure. There is nothing to keep us humble!  I am also reminded that I do not need to shout out the jugdments of God  but to just remember them. I do not have to write them down, just remember them. I do  not have to sing about them, just remember them. I do not have to talk about them, just remember them. I do not have to confess the judgements of God, just remember them.

Do you remember times in your life that were not so good? What is your perspective on that time? Are you thankful for it? Are you in awe? Do you have a reverence for who God is? He is LOVE, but he is also JUST.

Lay an altar on your heart. In Bible times, each time God did something they wanted to remember, they built an altar to the Lord. They gave a sacrifice to God to remember what God did. Both the good and the bad were remembered in this way. 

Prayer: Jesus, I pray we receive your justice. Help us to remember and receive your judgments. I pray that you help us not to forget your judgements help us to walk in truth, recognising who you are and not exalting our pride of  who we think you are in our lives. You are not just a holy Santa Claus. 

Blessings Friends,

Ruth A. Hidalgo