Our Best Yes
Karen Makishima, Director of Ohana Ministries
Psalm 95: 6-7 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care. Today, if only you would hear His voice.
At the time of this writing, it is one day before the HIM (Hawaiian Islands Ministries) 2022 Youth Conference. There is a lot of excitement in the air as various teams of staff and volunteers make preparations to host the youth one week, and the general public the following week for the main HIM conference.
Dan and Pam Chun, co-founders of HIM, have invited the Soul Survivor Watford Church team from England––Mike Pilavachi, Andy Croft, and Tom Smith––to lead the youth conference. I’ve seen them lead youth conferences at their church. They do an amazing job of ushering the youth into the presence of the Lord to worship Him, and I’m grateful the youth of Hawaii have the chance to experience that through HIM this year.
So I invited First Prez families, friends, co-workers, and kids in our ministries to the conference. I was hoping they’d say yes. That they’d experience standing before God to simply worship Him. And that they’d realize they will never be the same.
However, many responded with, “I ain’t got time for that,” or “I’ve got sports and school,” or “It’s tax season.”
And my response was, “Just come anyway! Come and be in God’s presence. Listen for His voice and know that you are loved.”
I have discovered that there is something about coming before God, our Maker, that is so transforming. Just standing before the One who designed every single inch of our bodies is life changing. He’s the One who designed our temperaments; gave us our passions; knows our fears. He’s the One who has a plan to prosper us.
As I come before my Maker, I am reminded that He sees me. All of me––my hurts, my unresolved issues, my inadequacies, and all the areas that still need to be refined. In the midst of all my mess, I feel His unchanging love for me. Sometimes I have a hard time grasping this love, but when I do, it is transforming.
Obviously, the HIM conference is not the only venue to experience God. I also experience Him on Sunday mornings during our worship services, when I go for walks, when I read His word, when I am gathered with friends, and many other times.
We are all busy, and our calendars are full. Choosing what to say yes to can be hard. Making wise decisions on what to give time to is difficult in the midst of seemingly endless demands.
But some yeses are better than others.
It is my hope that we will choose to say yes to worshiping God and spending time with Him regularly.
Making time for God would be our best yes.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for loving us as we are. Help us to make You, our Maker, our best yes. Help us to choose to come and worship You, not just during the season of Lent but all throughout the year. In Your Son’s name we pray, Amen.
