Appropriate Vacation Worship
July 28, 2019 by Art Fulks
Filed under Daily Devotions, Worship
By Art Fulks –
It is almost summer time and for many this means vacations. Recently, I heard a radio commercial that declared what most of us know to be true. Visiting family is wonderful and you can call it anything you want. But we all know that it is rarely a vacation.
With multiple children, especially in diverse age brackets, parents can often need to go back to work in order to get any rest. Resort activities, amusement parks, beaches, and swimming pools can drive you to the brink of exhaustion. As a father of four, let me encourage you that most kids eventually begin to appreciate their sleep.
Eventually, you may find yourself alone, sitting in front of a large window overlooking an incredible mountain view like I am right now. It is mid-morning and my first cup of coffee is still too hot to drink. Everything is quiet as I pier over what seems a limitless supply of peaks and valleys. As I asked myself what would be an acceptable act of worship, the words of Psalm 8 came to mind. In the quiet of the moment, it seemed God spoke to me and said, “Thanks for taking time to notice and admire My handiwork.”
God seemed to know that I needed a couple of days away from the fast paced race I have been running to sit in quiet mountain cabin and acknowlege His Sovereignty. Through an unexpected invitation, here I sit. And God seems to be reminding me that the beauty of His creation is all around me every day. It is in the starlit sky at night and morning sunrise. It is in the eyes of the people I love so much, as well as the eyes of those that I should love more.
Whether your vacation pace is relaxed or faster than normal life, God can use the change of scenery to speak. He can show you something new, or just to help you refocus. Either way, I am learning that the proper response in worship is to pay attention! That is something the Psalmist seemed to get.
AUTHOR QUOTE: Whether you go to the mountains, the ocean, or to some brightly lit kingdom dedicated to a popular rodent, God desires to speak to you.
“O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Thy name in all the earth, Who has displayed Thy spendor above the heavens!” (Psalm 8:1 NASB).
Art Fulks is a church planter / pastor near Greenville, South Carolina. Married for 23 years and father of four, Art is a graduate of The Ohio State University and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a passionate Bible teacher, speaker, musician, worship leader, and life coach.