Evening Worship

Scripture Reading - Psalm 118

"It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to put confidence in mortals." Psalm 118:8

I work two jobs. From 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday through Friday, I am a bookkeeper. On certain nights, I teach classes at a local college. When I come home at night I am tired and I am wired. Like most people, I manage a full plate. In addition to my two jobs, I own my own craft business, serve on two nonprofit boards, and (0f course) make time to write for Hub Pages. However, I could not do any of this without help from God.

I realize that God has blessed me in many ways. I may not be rich by worldly standards, but I have everything that I need. With God's help, I have accomplished just about every goal that I have set for myself. I have done nothing on my own.

We all have busy schedules; and, at times, these schedules drain us. We find it difficult to put one foot in front of the other. Let's face it, the world really does a number on us. Therefore, in order to maintain our sanity, we must learn to take refuge in the LORD.

The psalmist tells us that "It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in mortals. " In this day and time, we are bombarded with relaxation methods. There are many techniques and medications designed to help us relax and let go. However, I have found that the best form of relaxation is through evening praise. I define evening praise as quiet time with God. It is my time to meditate upon His word, praise Him for the day's blessings, and ask Him for renewal and rejuvenation. But, it's not all me, me, me. The most important part of evening praise is spent listening for God's still, small voice.

You see, taking refuge means slowing down and listening to God. Listening for God's voice is something that we must do in order to have a real relationship with our LORD. If you study the art of communication, you quickly learn that communication is a two-way street. In order for effective communication to take place, the message must be sent and received. Learning to listen on a human level requires us to slow down and to focus on the speaker. Listening improves our interpersonal skills and helps us to understand if we are on the right path. When we do not practice effective listening techniques, we often miss important information.

The same can be said of our conversations with God. When we pray, we often fall into the trap of unloading our problems on God and do not give Him time to respond to us. When we do not take the time to listen for His instructions, we miss the opportunity to form a solid relationship with our Creator.

After reading this Hub, I challenge you to make your evening worship more meaningful by taking time to really listen to God's voice. You may be surprised by what He has to say to you!