Cheeto Cheese Puff

"though the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord stands forever." 1 Peter 1:24-25

I guess everyone has eaten a cheeto sometime in their lifetime. They're the type of chip that you could eat just one, but what's the point. I mean, once you eat that first one, you already have that powdery cheese "stuff" on your fingers, so you might as well have a few more. Before you know it, half the bags gone. You reluctantly close the other half of the bag and commence the "de-cheez-a-fying" of your fingers, which, for most of us, involves licking, sucking, and scraping that "goo" off with your teeth (gross?. . .yes. . .enjoyable?. . . . .even more so). . . . . . . . . . . hours later. . . . . .you're still working at it. Even days may go by and still IT remains...that strange yellow "cheeto fungus" that accumulates around the nail of your fingers. No matter how hard you try...IT remains. The Word of the Lord is just like this wonderful morsel of cheese. . . . .sort of. You can read His word and it will be enjoyable at the time, but it goes much further than that. It continues to work in your heart, your mind, your very being, long after you put it back on the shelf. IT lingers. IT stays. IT remains. IT stands....forever. With you, for hours, day, even years. If you let it. If you allow this "Bible fungus" to grow in your hearts, it WILL change your life. Guaranteed.

A True Expression

As I was flipping the channels the other day, I ran across a televised worship service. I heard the worship leader say "Let these songs be our worship to You today, Lord." I began to think. My favorite scripture (Romans 12:1) commands us to offer our lives as our spiritual act of worship. It struck me that so often in my life, even though Romans is my favorite verse, I place so much emphasis on the things of my life being given to God in worship, instead of my actual life being given to Him. When I sing a song, in the back of my mind, I'm thinking, "I hope He enjoys this song." When I should be focused on, "I hope He enjoys my life." and then let the song be an overflow from my life. Even though many churches call their music section of the service the "worship" segment, it can be so far from true "worship." When we realize we are not in control of our time here on earth and offer each moment to Him who is in control, then we are able to truly "offer [our] lives" as our "spirtual act of worship." Then, and only then, are the songs we sing, the prayers we pray, the smiles we give, an act of worship. But remember, they are only expressions of worship. They, in and of themselves, are nothing. May our songs be a true expression of the true joy we have in our Lord and Savior as we offer our lives in true worship.