To What End

Thursday, March 27, 2025

Good morning, Lord

Father in Heaven, I seek You first-the knowledge of Your limitless love in Christ and endless power. Build my trust and my passion. I take up my cross and follow...In Jesus' name…

Memory verse: Ephesians 2:6 “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.”

Verse of the Day: Psalm 62:7

7 On God rests my salvation and my glory;    my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

Daily Reading:  Judges 1-3 Luke 4:1-30

To What End

‘To what end’ means ‘for what purpose’.

The first time my first child came running down our hall and shouted, “Daddy!”, I was overwhelmed with full joy. I remember that some 37 years ago.

There have been things like that in all our lives-times that we treasure. God wants us to know that full joy now.

Romans 8:14-16 says, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption to sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit  Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 

God wants us to know His joy as He hears and sees us running to Him shouting out our words of love.

This is the answer for ‘to what end’ or ‘for what purpose’ do we praise Him-it is pleasing to Him.

But God wants our joy to be real because we are His children-not because it looks good in corporate worship or because it is ‘what we are supposed to act like’.

When my son ran to me all that time ago, he did not stop and ask, “How should I do this?” or “What should I say?” It was spontaneous and real.

The point is, if we have to reason in our what’s and why’s of worship, it is not real worship it is contrived-made up…

There is no ‘reasoned purpose in worship’. It is from love welling up to not just overflowing but bursting forth.

I know that, to some, this is foreign. We have been taught that we must exercise certain ‘acceptable behavior’ when we worship.

I believe this is because those who believe these ‘rules’ have a hard time worshiping at home alone and/or they have never really realized how precious Jesus is-how great our God is-how very intimate the Holy spirit is.

Matthew 7:7&8  7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

This is our truth from the heart of God.

...because He loves us…

Father in Heaven,

Great is Your faithfulness and mighty is Your kingdom. Give me humility and desire for today's obedience and worship. Forgive me for trying to make things happen. Lead me away from contriving worship.

Precious Lord,

In the name of Christ Jesus,

Amen