Love Worship
Standing in church with hundreds of other believers, worshiping God through prayers and songs on Sundays, has brought me countless profound encounters with Him. It’s truly one of my favorite things to do on earth.
Before I became a Christian, I rarely cried. However, I’ve shed most of my tears during worship and talking about God, I just can’t help it. Now, I am a proud crier, as each tear that God brings to my eyes is heartfelt evidence of His incredible love and presence.
During worship, my heart opens up, and the openness of those around me magnifies this experience. In these moments, I see and hear God clearly. Worshiping Him is not only an act of devotion, it’s a celebration of life and a joyous communion with Him. It’s like participating in your favorite activity with your most cherished person, where both of you are fully immersed and enjoying every moment together. Worshiping with all my heart creates a timeless space where my mind stops dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. All fear vanishes, and I feel an overwhelming sense of peace and safety. In those moments, I truly feel at Home—not an earthly home, but a heavenly one.
When God Doesn’t Heal You
Tonight, while watching The Chosen, a message that had resonated with me before was highlighted again: “Is your faith strong enough not to be healed?” This profound question was explored in a conversation between Jesus and little James.
In the second episode of season 3 of “The Chosen,” Little James, who we’ve seen walks with a limp, comes to Jesus after He commissions the Apostles. He tells him he finds it hard to believe that he will be healing people, given that Jesus hasn’t healed him.
Jesus asks James, “Do you want to be healed?”
“Yes, of course,” James says, echoing us all, “if that’s possible.”
He’s been with Jesus long enough to know that it is possible, and Jesus tells him so.
“Why haven’t you?” he asks Jesus—again, a question so many of us pray, over and over again.
“Because I trust you,” Jesus says. “Little James. Precious Little James. I need you to listen to me very carefully, because what I am going to say defines your whole life to this point and will define the rest of your life. Do you understand?”
Jesus tells James that he has healed and will heal many, many people, and they will have a good story to tell. But, he tells him, think of your story, if I don’t heal you.
“To know how to proclaim that you still praise God in spite of this—to know how to focus on all that matters, so much more than the body—to show people that you can be patient with your suffering here on Earth, because you know you’ll spend eternity with no suffering—not everyone can understand that. How many people do you think the Father and I trust this with? Not many.”
“But the others,” James says, “they are so much more … stronger, better at this.”
“James, I love you,” Jesus says, “but I don’t want to hear that ever again.”
“I know how easy it is to say the Psalm of David, that I am beautifully and wonderfully made, but it doesn’t make this any easier,” says James, breaking down. “It doesn’t make me feel like any less of a burden.”
“When you pass from this earth,” Jesus says to James finally, “and you meet your Father in Heaven, where Isaiah promises you will leap like a deer, your reward will be great. So hold on a little longer. And when you discover yourself finding true strength because of your weakness, when you do great things in my Name in spite of this, the impact will last for generations. Do you understand?”
Like James, I cry, and I say, “Yes. Thank you, Master.”
https://everydayroses.blog/2023/05/16/when-god-doesnt-heal-you-a-lesson-from-the-chosen/