Playing Together

Meditate: Acts 2:44

But it’s not enough to all sound the same note. There’s more to symphonic harmony than just tuning up. It won’t happen without that but ultimately it’s just one factor among many.

Look at the players and notice that each one of them has the musical score in front of them. They’re not going to just make this up as they go along. They’ve each been given copies of the same music and they’re each going to follow the same plan. A composer has mapped out the path for them and together they’re going where that composer leads. You won’t hear a debate about what piece they’re going to play—they’re going to play what’s put before them. You won’t hear arguments or dissension about who takes what part—each will follow the score and play their part. You won’t hear anyone ask when to play and when to remain silent—it’s all there on the stand in front of them. They’ve left all that up to the composer. They know that to achieve unity and harmony, to play a symphony, they have to trust the composer. That trust means playing what’s written. If you take someone else’s composition and “fix” it, it’s called a “variation” and you’re supposed to sign your own name to it so the other guy doesn’t get blamed for your mess.

Similarly, for the Church to come together it must submit itself to God’s will and His Word. The orchestra takes the music as it is, not as they’d like it to be. They don’t say, “That’s too hard” or “I don’t feel like it.” They don’t ignore the parts of the score that don’t excite them and they don’t look at the challenging bits and say, “The composer didn’t really mean that…” Our faithfulness to God’s Word and our commitment to follow His will are another part of the answer to the “Why aren’t Christians like that today” question.

• Am I resisting any part of God’s will or Word?

Pray:
Praise: You have made Your Glory known. The very stars declare it.

Confess: I have not always been as quick to obey You as You have been to reveal Yourself to me. I have sought to evade and ignore You.

Thank: You have made Your will and Your Word clear.

Ask: Break down my resistance and lead me in Your ways.

Digging Deeper: I Kings 18

Posted by email from Ferndale Tonight (posterous)