Hope Discovery of the Day:

Find your worth by declaring His.

Scripture of the Day:

Jeremiah 51:17-19

“All idolaters will prove to be stupid and ignorant. Every goldsmith will be disgraced by the idol he made. For the image he forges is merely a sham. There is no breath in any of those idols. 18 They are worthless, objects to be ridiculed. When the time comes to punish them, they will be destroyed. 19 The LORD, who is the portion of the descendants of Jacob, is not like them. For he is the one who created everything, including the people of Israel whom he claims as his own. He is known as the LORD who rules over all.”

Worth is a matter of subjective opinion, often defined according to what we value in the moment. People strive to look like what they think will be valued, buy cars that will advertise their value, work in careers that will give them a status that lasts. For the moment. All too often we get distracted by things that lack worth. That is to say that their value does not extend past the here and now and they aren’t worth the time we invest in them.

We can readily see that fashioning an idol of stone is not a god at all, but might not recognize our own idolatry in its latest form. In our quest for worth, have we formed an idol of our own? Where our time is invested can inform us as to where our heart is inclined. But time alone is not the only measure, What do we think on more than anything else? What claims our affection more than any other? And where is most of our money spent?

The only thing of lasting worth on this earth is a relationship with the God Who created us and with His people. When we worship the One Who alone is worthy, we are doing what we were made to do – declaring His worth. Oddly enough, praising another – the only One Who we should praise – is where we find our worth, too.

Made in His image, we were created to know Him. His worth is beyond defining, which means we can declare it for all eternity.

If it feels religious to you to declare God’s worth, here is a picture of what it means to do so:

His Word.

Reading God’s word is a necessity for life, but we often look at it as a duty. How sad. The greatest love story is within the precious pages of the Bible and the most amazing stories of God’s redemption. To find God’s worth, we have got to open His word and discover our great God. Reading His words to His people fosters a passionate love for Him that fuels my faith as I recognize His worth. I like to write in my journal verses that speak to my heart and praise Him for His truth and opening my eyes to see and my mind to understand.

His Deeds.

We see God’s worth by what He has done for His enemies – people He lovingly created and set His love upon who defied and forgot their Maker – yet He rescued them and saved them. Again and again. When we grow comfortable and complacent with all that God has done for us, we need to remember what we were before He called us. Desperate. Sinful. Without hope. Until Jesus set us free.

Character.

He is perfect. Completely Holy. Certainly worth our adoration. And He embodies EVERYTHING we need. EVERYTHING. (Had to say that again). The names of God speak of His character. As we spend time studying each name ascribed to our great King, we discover just a glimpse of the depth of His character. Truly there is no one like Him. We begin to know our God by what He calls Himself and we encounter Him when we encounter our need. He meets us there in a way that no solution or idol in this world ever could.

Living.

The idols of this world are not alive at all. The hope they offer (well, they really don’t offer real hope) is temporary. But our God is real and alive. His Word is living. We are His representatives on this earth and declare God’s worth when we live lives that are worthy of the life He lived.

Like a jeweler who scrupulously examines his jewels for character and worth, may we mine God’s Word to know more of His value. It is an exercise that will change us into jewels ourselves, becoming objects of worth transformed in His Holy presence.

This passage I read today could not be more fitting. Just this morning I was informed that a song I wrote, “You Are Worthy” won song of the month. This is not about me, this is not for me – it is all about people seeing our worthy God and if He can use this song to help people find their worth by praising His, then it is “worth it” for me to stick my neck out there with this song. This is one acknowledgment that will be forgotten tomorrow, but if one person hears this song and is motivated to serve and worship God, it lasts for an eternity! Hallelujah! He is Worthy & we find our worth by declaring His! http://www.theakademia.com/music/N3pnDWTmCVreNKrJNR6a.html
Here is the music video for “You Are Worthy” if you have not heard or seen it. God is my hero and I pray He is yours, too! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTM-fS6xFx8

Revelations 4:8-11 — And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

Oh God, to You alone is all praise due. You are worthy of all we are and have. May you help us to discover afresh your worth and to proclaim and live it out all for Your glory!