| The Ministry The Author The Book The Audio [ HOME ] |
|
|
WEEKLY ENCOURAGEMENT
Updated: Tuesday, May 6, 2008
"I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth." Psalms 34:1
I wonder if this could be our testimony? Do we continually praise the Lord, or do we praise Him when things go as we had hoped or expected? I want to encourage you today, to just stop and consider the Lord and the world He has created for us, and thank Him for it. Thank Him for the birds that sing and that you can hear them. Thank Him for the warmth of the sun, for the beautiful and so varied flowers that begin to bloom at this time of the year. Most of you that read this weekly devotion probably live in free countries. Have you stopped to thank Him that you don't have to be afraid of being awakened at night by bombs and gunfire? Thank Him for your life! It is a gift and each of you is uniquely hand-made by the Creator of the universe! If you want to meditate, then meditate on that!
Thank God for who He is. He is sovereign, perfect, loving, just, righteous, merciful, powerful, forgiving, patient; full of majesty and glory!!
"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting: and his truth endureth to all generations." Psalms 100
Sometimes it feels like everything is going wrong, and all we see are problems, heartache, misunderstandings and pain. Then we are prone to say. "How can I thank God for this?" Habakkuk gives us the answer.
"Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet, I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is me strength, " Habakkuk 3:17-18a
We can praise God and be thankful in all things not because we are comfortable or life is going well, but because of who God is and we can have an intimate relationship with Him. We can be thankful and praise Him because He does all things well, and He has promise that all things work for good to those who love Him and are His children through faith in Jesus Christ. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28
Remember Noah's arch? How many windows did it have and where were they? There was only one and it was in the top. God wanted Noah to look up and see Him, even in the middle of the flood.
When we praise God, it is about praising Him for what He has already giving us, not just what we hope He will give.
"Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness."
Psalms 150:2. Again, let me encourage each of you, regardless of your circumstances, to join with me and obey Hebrews 13:15. "By him, therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name."
What do you find yourself thanking God for the most? How much time do you spend meditating how the reality of who God is?
|
- Sandy HastingsMay 6, 2008 |
|
