FOLLOW CHRIST AND SEE

If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26, 27 KJV)

If ye love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15 KJV)

Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon. He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn. The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire. The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory. The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever. The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace. (Psalms 29:1-11 KJV)

Seeking God earnestly means living a life with God as our singular focus, which requires a total, dedicated commitment to follow Him. In other words, it means radical obedience. We must leave everything to follow Jesus. Jesus said, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26-27 ESV). If we are not willing to do this, we will not see His power and His glory. 

Jesus lets us know clearly there is an inseparable relationship between our love for the Lord and our obedience to His Word. 'If you love me, you will obey what I command' (John 14:15 NIV). 

It's easy to say that we love the Lord, and any number of emotions may arise at the mention of His name. But what does your life look like? What you think you believe intellectually may be quite different from what you hold in your heart. 

God's power and glory will be revealed not only to us but also to others as we follow Christ in word and in deed. We will ascribe to Him the glory He is due as we die to self, pick up our cross, and follow Him. What could be more wonderful than to have our lives be a living sacrifice to our God and a demonstration of His power and His glory? 

Read Psalm 29. Think about what it means to ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name. 

'Ascribe to the Lord' means to attribute to God, to give to God all the credit and honor He so justly deserves. What does the psalmist tell you to attribute to the Lord? What do you see again about the word or the voice of the Lord? What does this scripture tell you about the Lord? Pray a simple prayer of praise using the words from the psalm. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name in word and deed by faith! 

Ask the Lord to help you live according to Psalm 29. Take His truth to heart and bring it to life throughout your day.