“Kingdom of Fear” by Cameron Whitcomb
On Wednesday a few weeks ago, I was alone on an hour-and-a-half flight. I did not have movies to watch or a book to listen to, so I simply turned on my playlist and sang quietly to myself. As I stared out at the vastness of the Great Plains, the lyrics of the songs began to take on deeper meaning. This week, I want to share some lyrics that resonated with me and connect them with Scripture. I am calling this week Unexpected Encouragement because these are not Christian artists or worship songs, but the truths within had spiritual weight for me, and I hope they will for you.
Today’s Song: Kingdom of Fear by Cameron Whitcomb
Lyrics:
Ask me how I've been, I'll say I'm great
But under my skin, I'm not okay
Honey, I've been scared to death, looking in the mirror
Just another day in the kingdom of fear
Ask me how it goes, I'll say I'm fine
But if you look close, I ain't doing alright
Honey, I've been scared to death, wipe away the tears
Just another day in the kingdom of fear
Scripture Verse:
2 Timothy 1:7
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
How many of you resonate today with those lyrics?
You are quick to answer “great” and “good,” paint a smile on your face, and act like everything is okay.
Do you have someone to confide in when things are not good? Do you have a trusted friend, confidant, or family member with whom you are willing to be honest?
I said a few weeks ago, hidden things are rarely healthy things. How much longer must you fight these battles alone? How much longer are you going to pretend before you absolutely break?
Not only should we look to a person to help us in this battle against fear, we must look to God! God has not given us a spirit of weakness and fear. Fear, anxiety, depression, and feeling overwhelmed may be very real parts of our lives, but they do not have to be faced alone, and they do not have to be the final word over us. There is help, both medical and spiritual. Do you believe God can bring real comfort and help to your real problems?
Hear these words from What a Friend We Have in Jesus:
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Today, I encourage you to confess your fears, pains, struggles, worries, sadness, and disappointment. Trust that God, who has given us a spirit of power and not fear, hears and helps!
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Worship Start Day 10
Pray this as you start today:
O God, Our God, you are welcome in this place.
As we gather,
may my lips praise You.
may my eyes see You.
may my ears hear You.
may my mind focus on You.
may my heart be changed by You.
This is a sacred moment; change me in it!
I challenge you today to look for the fingerprints of God as you live this ordinary Friday.
This evening, reflect back over your day and see where God answered your prayer.
You may discover that what seemed like an ordinary day became a sacred moment because you invited God into it.
Worship Start Day 9
Do you want to be changed?
I love change, but many people do not even like change. I want to be changed, but many would prefer everything to stay the same.
Do you want to be changed?
In John 5, there is a paralyzed man lying beside a pool that was thought to have healing powers. Yet, because of his condition, he was unable to get to the pool at the right moments.
Jesus shows up:
John 5:6
When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?"
The man begins answering by explaining his problem instead of answering the question.
Jesus stops asking and gives him a choice—listen or remain.
"Get up, take up your bed, and walk." And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.
I believe there are many places in our lives that God wants to heal, but we are often more concerned with explaining the problem than listening to the One who is greater than the problem.
Over my life, I have silenced many convictions that God has placed on my heart with logic, defiance, and busyness. Then I bemoan the problem even more.
Do you want to be changed?
Are you truly willing for God to step into the darkened places of your life and shine His exposing light on your festering greed, envy, pride, and selfishness?
Do you want to be changed, or do you simply want to be mad at the problem?
Are you willing to experience the painful process that change brings, or would you rather just learn to live with it?
We say each Sunday, "Change me in this sacred moment," but do we really want to be changed? Are we truly willing to give God control over our relationships, finances, affections, careers, dreams, and goals?
Are we truly open to Him changing our hearts, opening our eyes to the problems of this world, and letting us hear the pain around us?
It is easy to say, yet difficult to live:
Change me!
Are you willing to be changed? Changed people do not stay the same. It will affect your time, your resources, your treasures, and your aspirations.
Worship Start Day 8
Over the last few weeks, I have been asking us to expect more when we gather in worship. I hope we expect God to move, to meet us, to challenge us, to convict us, to comfort us, and to change us in those sacred moments each Sunday.
But could we pray this each and every day? Could every day be a sacred moment?
I am reminded of David's words in Psalm 139, where he confesses that there is nowhere he can go to be away from God:
7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
If God is everywhere I go, and there is nowhere I can go where He is not, then could every moment have the potential to be sacred? Could my 2 p.m. slump at work be sacred? Could my Friday night relaxation at 9 p.m. be sacred? Could my stop-and-go commute be sacred?
Let's define sacred. Sacred is anything that is set apart, devoted, or reserved for a religious purpose. With that definition, I think every part of every day has the potential to be sacred. If the call of the Christian is to live on purpose for a purpose wherever we are, then we can have sacred moments at home, at work, on a walk, and in the car. Sacred moments can show up like burning bushes on the backside of the mountain, but they can also be found in the small encouragements we offer to those who are struggling.
Today, I encourage you to remember that God is everywhere: at work, at home, while you are awake, and while you sleep. These ordinary moments, devoted to God, become sacred moments where He changes us.
Pick one practice you do each day and devote it to God this week. It could be walking your dog, brushing your teeth, taking a shower, or drinking your coffee. Focus this week on purposefully devoting that space to God. Ask Him to open your eyes, ears, and heart to experience Him in that moment.
These are sacred moments where God can change us!
Worship Start Day 7
DEVOTION 7 – May My Heart Be Changed by You
Ezekiel 36:26
"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."
God changes hearts.
I cannot change my own heart.
These opening sentences are key to our understanding of the work of God. Left to ourselves, we are prone to selfishness, envy, pride, and the pursuit of our own desires. No matter how kind, nice, or good we try to be, we are still sinners in need of God's transforming work.
This is where we need God. He must change our hearts. He must draw us to understand that He is good, kind, and merciful. Our hearts must be opened to a love we don't deserve, grace we have not earned, and mercy that makes no sense.
As God makes these changes in our hearts through His Holy Spirit, we begin to see our affections and desires change.
Just last week, Carlin and I were talking about how God has moved us from a place of constant desiring to a place of contentment. No longer do we long for every new item at the store or for every brand that is out of our price range. God has worked in us a contentment that is deeply comforting.
Today, I want you to consider your affections.
What are the things you love most?
I bet most of them are good—or at least neutral—and that is okay.
The question I want you to consider is: What position and priority are you giving these things in your life?
Where does God want to continue changing your heart so that it more closely aligns with His? Where have greed, pride, or selfishness taken root and perhaps even begun to be nurtured in your life?