The surprise ending of this book takes us to the subject Ravi says connects the cry of God’s heart with all the cries of our hearts—Worship. Such a controversial subject—a subject that has divided churches and caused church people to de-church. But, that is the narrow aspect of worship. Worship can enrich every aspect of our lives—every activity, every encounter, every motive, every purpose. Worship can transform our lives and give us tools and means to live our faith well.Satisfy My Thirsty Soul, by Linda Dillow is a wonderful book on worship. I read it twice last year—I’m a slow but steady learner! One of the important concepts Linda discusses in her book is repeated here in Ravi’s. If we live without authentic worship, if we live with "shoulds" and "oughts" and acts of worship that don’t come from our heart but are preformed robotically, then we become weary in our faith and we lose the joy of our salvation. Ravi teaches that our cries to know God, to feel our faith, to understand and know how to live with suffering, guilt, pleasure and loneliness, are met when we truly meet the cry of God’s heart and worship Him.
As I process this week’s reading, I’m going to be very curious to see if you agree with Ravi in his assertion that worship is the consummate answer to the cries of our heart. He says, “Our cries meet up with the cry of God’s heart for His people—for that is what He seeks for us.” Please blog your response and how it will impact your life with God—your worship of Him.
This is our last week to study this book together. Thank you for making the journey with me. I’ve been challenged by our reading and the Holy Spirit has used Ravi’s writings to help me understand and live my faith in new ways. I hope you’ve been encouraged also. May God richly bless each of us as we learn how to worship Him in deeper ways in each area of our lives!
[Editor's Note: Next book, Gilead, starts June 7. See sidebar for book ordering details (30% discount!) See you in June!]
4 comments:
This was by far my favorite chapter in this book. I was struck inparticular by pg 184 when he talks about the journey (with Israel) moving from a journey WITH Him to a journey TO Him... and that the tragic result was disconnecting life and worship. I have been so moved in the last few years to ask the Lord to make worship, prayer, and the knowledge of His presence a part (connected with, through and in) my EVERYDAY life. In church, in the restaurant, in the school room,in my kitchen, laundry room, and bathroom.
I was deeply moved by Ravi's discussion of God's love for us and the picture of marital love... and ifidelity, as well. I appreciated his discussion of God's feelings and the "scandalousness" of God's love for us! (p. 191). ...taking it right to the cross-- that "raw expression of love" (p. 194) carried out there by Jesus. These were such good reminders of the relationship that God wants to have with His people,...with me.
Lastly, I deeply appreciated Ravi's dealings wth that which corrupts our worship, or our love outpour, to God. Dealing with Mal. 1:10... when God says, "I am not pleased with you! ...useless fires on my altar". Again, the connection of CONNECTING with God in relationship, through genuine love and worship being key here.
Really good stuff here for me to think on.
I read this chapter and thought--- this was worth the price of admission.
I'm reading in Revelations for my devotions and have to be honest to say there is more that I don't understand than I do understand in that book. But, what strikes me is God's desire to be worshiped and how worthy He is of our worship. He is more than worthy. Even when exercising judgement, while seeing His wrath, we see His purposeful love and care--I close my Bible each day and realize my God is King of King and Lord of Lords--so very worthy of my worship.
I'm so glad I'm reading in Revelations as we process this chapter. Because, my worship is often corrupted by my cultural understanding of faith--and I forget Who is God and who isn't. Oh, I could tell you, and I would say I'm following Him--but so often I think I live in a way that really is asking God to follow me, bless me, help me, care for me... (and all those I love and care about.) That is such a tiny, incomplete, distorted view of God. I don't want forgetfulness of who God really is, or my culture's use of God to corrupt my worship.
I'm looking forward to reading your comments this week as we finish this book. I wonder if any of you are going to read Gilead with me. It is a great book. Hope to have you reading with me!
Worship was a great topic for the last chapter and tied everything we had read together. I enjoyed reading Malachi and seeing God's heart for his people even though many still rejected him. It was neat to see at the end of Malachi the faithful whose names were written in a book and called God's treasure. When my life is out of sorts, I often find my worship is lacking. The five guidelines that Ravi Zacharias gave of what worship needs (love, reverence, sacrifice, right motive, instruction in truth and obedience) are a good place to start when examining where I am in my worship. The area I need the most focus on is am I giving of my best. The questions Ravi asked have been a prayer of mine this week. My prayer is that my worship here will prepare me just a bit for the worship that will take place in heaven.
Linda, reading revelation seems like a good next step. Thank you for your time and sharing with us. I will not be with you for the next book due to time constraints at the beginning of our summer here. I hope to join you again in the book after Gilead.
This chapter was rich, and I have been mulling over it all week. Ravi’s explanation of the replacement of the tabernacle was profoundly applicable to our Christian contemporary society. Our understanding of worship has been reduced to song choices and music preferences. What an awesome reminder that we are called to live lives of worship to the righteous King. We are to invite and allow God to invade each and every area of our lives, committing and submitting each to our Lord.
“They did not, in the process of rejecting God’s love, make God less than God. They made themselves less than the were made to be.” I loved this. It is incredible to me that God hurts on our behalf when we live short of what He desires for us—and that he hurts, as Ravi states, not because He has lost anything, but because we have. To think that God is an all-sufficient God, and yet He enters our world, our lives, our brokenness is so humbling to me. The incarnation, life and death of Christ is the ultimate display of this. So amazing to me.
It took me a little while to process how the book all ties together. I think Ravi best sums it up in his final few sentences when he states: “Worship is coextensive with life. Here the sacred and the secular meet.” Not what I was really expecting for the final chapter, but so beautiful knits it all together by helping us to understand why we even have “cries of the heart” and where ultimately they can find their rest. I really enjoyed this chapter, and will be chewing on it for another week or two!
Linda, thank you again for heading this book club. I have truly enjoyed it, and I look forward to Gilead!
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