From Dawn to Dusk
Close your eyes for a moment. And while you do that, picture this wonderfully diverse planet we call home. (Yes, really.)
Everything that you just imagined—God created all of it. And God created all of us to worship Him.
From north to south and east to west.
From bustling cities to slow-paced villages.
From lifeless deserts to life-packed forests.
From the highest mountains to the farthest oceans.
“From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised!”
Psalm 113:3 NIV
The sun “rises” and “sets” on all of us. All people, all languages, all nations. All skin colors, eye colors, and hair colors. All shapes, sizes, and personalities. Rich and poor. Aching hearts and contagious smiles.
An eclectic mix of people from various parts of the world have always been praising God from generation to generation—and it continues to happen now. And we know it will never stop.
In Revelation 7, John has a vision of a “great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb,” who is Christ. They are serving and worshiping, all day and night.
God’s people—past, present, and future—are worshiping people.
We can worship with our songs.
We can worship with our money.
We can worship with our lives.
And one day, when we finally see things clearly, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. But today, we don’t have to wait to worship.
When sunlight streams through your windows, you can worship.
When the evening sky turns orange-ish pink, you can worship.
When you’re in a season of waiting, you can worship.
When you’re in a season of receiving, you can worship.
When your heart is breaking, you can worship.
When your heart is full, you can worship.
From dawn to dusk, let the name of the Lord be praised.
Today, think about this verse and consider what compels you to worship God. Then, shift your heart toward Him and don’t forget to worship.
Transformation Starts Here
Do you want to be new?
All around the world, humans long for change. We long to throw off old habits and ways of thinking if they aren’t serving us anymore. Thousands of self-help books, podcasts, articles, and all kinds of media exist for this very reason. We know we need to change, and we want to! And yet it can feel impossible.
Paul, one of Jesus’ disciples, shares this powerful truth in Romans 12:2 (NIV):
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Transformed by the renewing of our minds. What does this mean?
Transformation is a massive change. It’s thorough. Complete. A total difference. Like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly, transformation brings an end to the old and a beginning to the new.
Paul is showing us that transformation isn’t work we do from the outside in—transformation happens from the inside out. It ...