If there is one thing that sums up this last year of my life it is CHANGE. This February marks my first anniversary serving the music ministry of First United Methodist Church of Panama City. It has been more than a year since I taught my last class at the university. I think this year was about good teaching me a thing or two, especially about trusting Him. People probably thought I was crazy that I would leave my job teaching in a Christian university, a place where I had been for ten years and thought I would never leave. Others probably thought I was crazy to move my family across the country. I am thankful that God was in this move and that He has continued to bless my family through our relationships with you in the church, in our interactions with the staff, and in our feelings of contentment in the community. We truly feel at home.
I am glad that God is always thinking ahead and leading us in His paths, even before we realize our lives are changing. I am reminded of the great words the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Philippi: “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6) This means that God has a plan for us, and, better yet, He will see that plan come to fruition in us. We can all be thankful that we have a compassionate Father who loves us and is willing to mold us into His image through all circumstances in our lives. Psalm 40:5 tells us: “Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.” It is truly a miracle that God cares about each of us in such a personal manner.
Our worship, then, should come for a heart that truly seeks after God—just as He has sought us, to save us and redeem us. If our hearts are really open to Him, then our worship will be more meaningful. If we come expecting to meet God in our times of corporate worship, then He will not disappoint us. Rather, He will come and show forth His presence in a refreshing way. Each of us needs a refreshing from time to time, and what better place to meet the Lord than in worship from His church.
We also need to consider how well we know the Lord—how important our relationship with Him really is. I am planning to make that a priority in my life—to know the Lord better, to understand His Word better, to be more like Him in my dealings with people. And, like the Apostle Paul wrote: “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9-11) My sincere prayer for each of you is that grace would abound in your lives and that you would be filled with His Spirit and presence daily.
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