“In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.”
2 Chronicles 31:21
I have sung
On praise teams and as a soloist
Singing songs of praise
Memorized psalms
Played my flute and whistles
As fast as they would go
I have sung in choirs
Found harmonies
Raised my hands
Lifting my eyes to the sky
In worship
But here sitting in the quiet
Of a late morning
Our last one at the cottage
My heart full of Scripture
I am reminded
This too is worship
Perhaps a purer and better worship
Than the other kind
The good king Hezekiah
Started his reign
By reinstituting worship
The people hungry for it
Hungry for more of God
The altars overflowed with so many sacrifices
The priests could not keep up
Unlike so many other kings of Judah
He tore down the high places
But not until first he worshipped Yahweh
The one true God
How often have I beaten myself up for idols
I am unable to remove on my own
The chocolate I still go to for comfort
But we were never intended
To tear down our idols
Without divine help
We think like pagans
That we must first remove the high places
Must get our acts together
Before we approach the throne of grace
But we have it backwards
Even though the people of Hezekiah’s day
Didn’t properly follow all the temple laws
For purification
God accepted their sacrifices
He graciously received their worship
Their seeking after Him
And then, only then, did they tear down the high places
It all began with worship
And while worship is about God
It is not about me
Perhaps it is also our fuel
What we need to be reminded
That the joy of the Lord is our strength
To fill up on the nutrients of heaven
So the junk food of our idols
Pales in comparison
Reminded that we are so very small
Compared to the strength and majesty
Of the One Living God
And so this morning I worship
I worship the God who created the finger lakes
Out of glaciers
Who made the waters so clear
You can see all the way to the bottom
Who wore down these stones
Over time
So they are smooth
I worship the God
Who gave me a kind and gentle husband
Two beautiful children
Godly parents and in-laws
And the gift of this place
Of time together
Of connection
I worship the God of Hezekiah
The God of Elisha
The God of Abraham
Who blessed them
So they could be a blessing
As he blesses me
So I can go out into the world
With a heart overflowing with Him
I worship the God of all that is good
The tender God who allowed
The wind to shift this morning
So I could enjoy one last morning on this dock
The air quality breathable again
I worship the God
Who fills my life with purpose
Reminding me even now as I prepare to leave
The peacefulness of this place
That work is a gift
A ministry
An opportunity to bless others
Something to enjoy
But not to worship
Because he alone is worthy of worship
May I remember
Even as we leave this place
It all begins with worship
It all begins and ends
Not with me
But with Him
Wind and the Waves 