Despair into Praise

I have a story today for all those dealing with problems or heartaches. Basically, this story is for all of us.

Mr. Davidson, a farmer, lived with his wife and young daughter on their farm in the country. Davidson was a Christian man, but not a very happy one. Things just weren't going well for him.

At first he lived a happy farm life, for he prayed to God for good weather, good crops, and a good return on his farming investments. God answered his prayers and he prospered.

Later, things were not so bright. The weather turned bad for a couple years, the crops failed, the cattle caught disease, and he himself fell ill and couldn't work as hard.

Though his health improved over time, with his livelihood in jeopardy, despair set in, as the farmer contemplated what he should do to support his small family. There was so much work to do to restore the farm, that he wondered if it wouldn't be better to leave it and start over.

Finally one day, all hope dead in his heart, he put his farm up for sale.

This same day his young daughter, unaware of the trouble, happily played with her lettered blocks. Seeing her Daddy come into the room, she called him over to play with her.

     "Make me a word, Daddy."

He hesitated and then spelled out D E S P A I R, which most described his state of mind, as he worried over supporting his sweet little girl.

     "Is it a word?" inquired his daughter.

    "Yes, it says despair."

     "What does that mean?" she wondered.

     "It means all hope is lost."

His daughter continued to arrange her blocks and then called to him again.

     "Daddy, now what does it say?"

P R E S A I D

     "It isn't a word" he answered.

But he saw that if he rearranged it a bit, he could make a real word.

P R A I S E D

     "What does it say now?" she wanted to know.

     "It says praised."

When the little girl asked what it meant, he began to explain. Then suddenly he realized that this was the one thing which he himself had not done. He had planned, he had worked, he had discussed, he had even prayed, but he had never praised. It is very hard to praise when everything seems to be going wrong.

     "That is a wonderful change we made", he finally said to his daughter. "We changed despair into praised."

     "Yes, and without a single block more", his daughter noticed.

So it was that Mr. Davidson began to see how the Lord had really answered his prayers. He was not answering by taking away his problems, but by helping him to face them in another way. Mr. Davidson had never been able to praise God while his heart filled with despair. But now he determined to hope in God and to praise Him even though he still had his problems.

He again read the Bible and even memorized verses that tell of giving praise to the Lord.

When things improved, and proofs of answered prayer were clear for all to see, Mr. and Mrs. Davidson still praised God for His wonderful goodness in the times of sadness and despair. For it was in these times they had learned that God is worthy of real praise regardless of any circumstances. They had conquered despair with praise. They had proven the truth of the Scripture that says:

Psalm 50:23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.

I adapted this story from a chapter of Another Hive of Bees. (Christian character book for children.)

I personally still have most of the same problems I had last year. My son still leans on his OCD rituals and takes hours to complete a small amount of school. My daughter hides under covers in her bedroom when the skies darken. She despairs in her young mind about the (possibly) impending thunder, lightning and sure doom (in her mind anyway, sure doom). My youngest daughter's arthritis still wakens her with pain some nights. Appliances and other things keep breaking, while monthly income doesn't keep up.

If I despair, everything snowballs, but then pretty quickly I'm reminded I don't need my problems erased. We're passing through this broken place for a short time, and then we're free of the sin curse. We enjoy full healing in heaven.

The healing and rewards come later, the obedience and grace occur now.

Change despair into PRAISE for the glory of God.

Verses of praise:

Psalm 150:1-6 
Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! ...

Psalm 150:6 
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

Psalm 95:1-6 
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. ...

Psalm 117:1-2 

Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!

Psalm 96:1-9 

Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens. ...

Psalm 146:1-2 

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

1 Chronicles 16:29

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;

Psalm 62:1-12

To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. How long will all of you attack a man to batter him, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence? They only plan to thrust him down from his high position. They take pleasure in falsehood. They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. Selah For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. ...

What God Wants From Us In 2015, Part 2

Last time, we spoke about Loving God. Today, we learn about Seeking Him.

Oh, that we would all seek Him...earnestly, desperately seek Him.

Job 5:8-9 “As for me, I would seek God, and to God would I commit my cause, who does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number."

Is he lost, that we must seek Him? On the contrary, he's ever-present, and we're lost.

Proverbs 8:17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.

Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened."

Why must we seek Him, if he's always there?

The problem lies not with God, but with us--we are like the Israelites.

Psalm 14:2-3 The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.

God parts the sea and provides for us time and again, yet we forget so quickly. We are hungry for something from God, but we're not hungry for God (unless we're in trouble). We build our idols and focus on them, for they're tangible and enticing, giving us a quick high that keeps us coming back for more. No patience, that's us. We want fulfillment without commitment, so we keep chasing the empty promises the enemy whispers in our ears, never finding lasting joy in them.

Commitment requires that we be intentional. Instead, we want to be on auto-pilot. Intimacy doesn't come that way--it's a reward for our diligently seeking Him.

Moses went up to the mountain to see God, and in his absence, the very people the Lord brought out of Egypt did something shocking. They busied themselves building idols.

What?! Who does that after crossing through a parted sea to safety, after which the Lord destroyed the enemy with the falling waters? Who witnesses such a miracle and is saved, only to then build and worship some calf? Stupid, eh?

That's us. Stupid. Did you know sheep (that be us) are incredibly stupid? They aren't aware when they wander away, and they have no sense of direction to get back. Unlike most animals, they have no concept of a predator. When a wolf comes, they don't skitter away nervously. Oh, no. They just stay put, oblivious. Without the shepherd, they are dead, for they can do nothing to save themselves.

And do they warm up to him and love him? Oh, no. They're likely to bite him.

I told my children these facts one day, after hearing them in a sermon. They were indignant, not wanting to be compared to stupid sheep.

That's another thing about us. We don't want to need God, despite having His resume in hand, knowing what it promises on our behalf. Our own neediness disgusts us and terrifies us, so we run from it, instead of giving thanks for the Shepherd, who is Love.

Pride is a huge obstacle for us all. Humility leads to the Lord. Pride leads to death.

Lamentations 3:25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

Who can we emulate? Who can teach us to seek the Lord?

I believe David's our man. David couldn't stop writing Psalms--love poems to God. He loved the Lord and felt the Lord so vividly. He had to write about Him or he'd burst. As you read David's Psalms, you begin to understand what seeking God is like, and the reward waiting for those who do it.

Psalm 63:1 (A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.) O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Psalm 34:1-22 (Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away). I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.

Psalm 27:8 (of David) You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”

Psalm 40:16  (Of David) But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!”

Psalm 16:11 (Of David) You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 34:10 (Of David) The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

There are obstacles in your life and in mine, that are in the way of our seeking God. If you get your notebook started in the first post, and write down the obstacles in your life--the idols--which prevent you from earnestly seeking the Lord, I believe, along with confession and repentance, it will be a first step to modeling our hearts after David's.

We can't just acknowledge these idols--we need to ask God's forgiveness, and plead with him to put us on the seeking path. There is something to find on this path. It's not a mirage we're after, but living water. Never-ending, never-stopping, always-available, living water.

Amos 5:4 For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live;

1 Chronicles 28:9 “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.

John 7:38  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

Where do we seek God?

1. Through Creation - “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Romans 1:19-20

2. Through Prayer - Prayer is not one-sided, but a conversation with the Holy Spirit--a communing with the Holy Spirit. We are in His presence when we pray. God doesn't need our prayers to decide what to do. We need our prayers to become one with the Lord.

3. Through Praise - When you start praising God, he fills you up. He meets your soul directly and lifts it up to the heights, like you've never known. During and after a praise session, you want for nothing, spiritually or physically.

4. Through the Holy Word - John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

That's right...the Word was God. Open your Bible and meet the Lord right there on the page. 

5. Through His Son - God sent his Son, Jesus, so we would understand who God is. Jesus is the way--the way out of condemnation, the way out of separation from God. Jesus is our escort, our teacher, our Savior. He is the gateway. Go through Him--i.e. read the Gospels--and you will experience God and know Him.

Prayer Time: 

Dear Heavenly Father, we repent. We are sorry for our wayward-sheep habits, for being dumb Israelites all over again. Forgive us and restore us to intimacy with you. Our seeking and finding is a spiritual gift from you, and we thank you. We love you. May we seek your face, gaze on your loveliness, feel your sufficiency, Teach us to love you, to trust you, to obey you, to see you in your Creation, teach us to pray, to praise, to read your Holy Word, to experience your Son. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

I leave you with some quotes I encountered in my studies.

John Piper: Seeking involves calling and pleading. O Lord, open my eyes. O Lord, pull back the curtain of my own blindness. Lord, have mercy and reveal yourself. I long to see your face.

John Piper: His face — the brightness of his personal character — is hidden behind the curtain of our carnal desires. This condition is always ready to overtake us. That is why we are told to “seek his presence continually.” God calls us to enjoy continual consciousness of his supreme greatness and beauty and worth.

Charles Spurgeon: "There will be three effects of nearness to Jesus—humility, happiness, and holiness."

Dan Jarvis: But it's not about Bible reading checklists or stopwatch prayer commitments. Seeking God's face is personal; it is an attitude of longing, willingness, and discontent with anything less than spiritual intimacy.

Mary Writes a Song

Busy hanging clothes the other day, I was graced with Mary's presence, her face all a glow.

"Mommy, I wrote a song in my head and I need you to write it down." 

Mary's Best Song

Oh, Lord, I need you.
You take me up.
You clear my heart from sin,
You make me new again

Hopefully there will be another stanza soon!

Pray Without Ceasing - It's Not Impossible

In this post I wrote about God's work in my life regarding the management of stress. Specifically, what God is teaching me is to pray first whenever a difficulty arrives, rather than responding with bodily stress that raises my blood pressure and changes my mood, all because I'm trying to deal with the difficulty in my own strength.

Over a full day these stress responses wear me out emotionally and keep me from mothering the way I want to, especially at the end of the day.

In response to that post, a reader wrote: "I have been working on praying first instead of stressing. I cannot believe all the testimonies I have experienced already! The only problem is I still struggle to do it. Why?":)

Well...I might have an answer to that. I've thought about it a lot these last couple weeks.

When I was nursing Beth I had an active prayer life (she nursed 4.5 years total). Three months after she was born my husband lost his job, bringing a great deal of stress in my life. Before long I was praying each time I nursed and even after the intensity of that time passed, my mind kept associating nursing with prayer time. It became automatic and the connection in my mind lasted for the full length of our nursing relationship.

Beth slowly weaned herself over several months so that by June, 2013, she was barely asking to nurse at all. After a three-week break she did ask to nurse suddenly, but the milk diminished enough that she wasn't getting much for her effort. She asked a few more times and then stopped asking altogether, with nary a complaint.
  
It happened so slowly that it didn't dawn on me right away. The less she nursed, the fewer prayer sessions I enjoyed. See, the nursing sessions were a fixed prayer time for me.

Now that she's weaned, I've had to ask myself the same question you see posted above: "The only problem is I still struggle to do it? Why?"

I can answer this only for myself, but maybe it will help some of you too. In my life it took a fixed prayer time to focus my mind and heart on prayer, so that over time fellowshipping with God became more automatic--less an act of my will. And because I was conversing so often with him, it spilled over into other times of the day. My mind was in tune with God--used to talking with him. It became a habit.

When we sit down for a once-a-day quiet time that's an act of our will. It's wonderful and obedient. But the Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. How do we make the transition from praying at our quiet time and before our meals, to praying without ceasing?

1 Thessolonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.…

Developing a prayer habit is the answer. Experts say it takes 21 consecutive days for an act of our will to become a habit. Our minds are too quick to roll through life without thought of God, but a fixed, recurring reminder would solve that dilemma. I believe this is what God is referring to when he instructed us to pray without ceasing. He's saying: Form a habit of putting me first...of making me your first love.

Luke 10:27 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind..."

We begin to love him with all our hearts after we've formed a habit of conversing with Him throughout the day.

What did it take to fall in love with our husbands way back when? We formed a habit of talking on the phone and getting together for fellowship. Gradually, we shared more and more without fear until eventually we had to get married. Being apart wasn't feasible anymore.

That is what God wants from our hearts. That they would be so in tune with his, that being apart becomes unfeasible.

We each need to find something in our lives that will function as a fixed prayer time, whether it's washing dishes the long way three times a day, or doing laundry or preparing meals. Something.

Changing a diaper, maybe?

If nothing else we can set the oven timer three or four times a day, to remind us to pause the regular daily programming and stop for prayer. Our children can participate too, either privately or with the family unit.

Gradually, the prayer relationship will solidify and spill over into other times of the day. We'll respond to difficult situations first with prayer, because prayer will become part of who we are. We'll become a prayer warrior.

Daily Christian life is a battleground; Satan's always ready to fight for our hearts. Our best defense is offense and prayer is that offense.

I believe there really is a way to pray without ceasing. It won't happen overnight and at first it will be an act of our will, but the Holy Spirit will meet us far more than halfway. He will make us succeed if our hearts are sincere.

The work of grace that started when we first believed will prevail.

Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

What reminds you to pray throughout the day?

Cross references:

1. Philippians 1:6 : Ps 138:8
2. Philippians 1:6 : ver 10; S 1Co 1:8

Thankful Thursday

Psalm 50:23 The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!”

~ Thank you, Father, for allowing me to homeschool my Mary. She loves science and books and I love capturing wonder with her as her eyes are opened to knowledge. 

1 Thessalonians 5:18 Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

~ Thank you, Father, that our 1988 furnace needs replacing and when I heard it from the heater man yesterday, along with the warning to use our current furnace at our own risk, I did not panic because I know that even for big-ticket items, you graciously provide. Thank you for growing my faith over the years. Thank you for never letting me stay in one place spiritually. Sometimes I am like a stubborn mule, not wanting to move forward, but you are faithful to complete your work in all of us. 

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

~ Thank you, Father, that we are back in touch with an old friend from California, who moved near us here in Ohio. Thank you that we can provide Christian fellowship and good cheer for his soul, as he endures life with severe bipolar disorder. Thank you that his faith carries him even in the face of mental illness. Thank you for the rich Christian fellowship.

Psalm 100:1-5 A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

~ Thank you, Father, for letters from Compassion children. Thank you for how they always light us up spiritually.

Colossians 2:6-7 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

~ Thank you, Father, that although Peter's tics and OCD are not improving, he is persevering in life, not letting them drag him down. He shares his burden and as he does, the weight lifts. May he always have someone who will listen and may he lean on you most of all.

Psalm 66:1-20 To the choirmaster. A Song. A Psalm. Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise! Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you. All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.” Selah Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man. ...

~ Thank you, Father, for the peace that family devotions brings to our collective souls. Thank you for your steadfast love and for your Truth that heals.

Psalm 40:9-10 I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O Lord. I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.

~ Thank you, Father, for an opportunity to minister to neighborhood families. Bring in the children this Saturday, Father. And may their parents share their burdens freely, trusting us to bring the peace of Christ to their children and to them. May that peace emanate from us, no matter what our day or week has been like.

Psalm 103:1-2 Of David. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,

~ Thank you, Father, that Paul learned to play The Twelve Days of Christmas on the piano this year. That silly song brought hours of joy and giggles to my children and I am so glad!

~ Thank you for one-on-one time with my children and for Daddy home a little more to do the same with them. Thank you for that Pippi Longstocking movie from the library that gave us collective giggles as we munched on popcorn and held our little ones in our laps.

~ Thank you, Father, for the hours of fun all this snow brought to my children and to neighborhood children. Thank you for their snowmen, their snow forts, their snow angels, and their homemade sled hills. All children forsake their toys and possessions when you bring your natural wonder into their lives. Thank you for the glory of your creation and for the joy. Always the joy!

Sunday Worship

Worshiping Him with Psalms today. Happy Sunday to you and yours. 

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!

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Psalms 8:1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

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Psalms 29:2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

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Psalms 95:6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!

Psalms 99:5 Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!

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Psalms 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!

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Psalms 59:16 But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.

Psalms 63:3-4 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Psalms 150 Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!

Walk With Him Wednesday: Joy

I'm participating again this week in Ann Voskamp's Walk With Him Wednesday. The assignment this time?

For the next 3 weeks: The Practice of Joy…. What does it mean to choose Crazy Joy? How do we authentically walk through hard times? How do practice the “gigantic secret” of Christians?  We look forward to your Scripture study, stories, encouragement….

Unquestionably, the gigantic secret of Christians everywhere is joy. But as busy moms performing a hundred mundane tasks a day, how do we get there? Surely it doesn't arise from our sweeping, scrubbing, wiping, changing, folding, fixing and preparing...all while fielding interruptions? Surely it doesn't arise during discipline problems or money problems or relationship problems?  

Joy is such a meaty topic, we'll concentrate on just one aspect a week. Today let's discuss access. What everyone wants to know is this: How do we access joy? 

In preparing for my study, I read through five or six different topical studies, hoping to find the best scriptures pertaining to joy. And do you know, three-year-old Beth woke up three times during my four-hour study? The third time I had to finally ask the Lord...what are you trying to tell me here? That you don't want me to complete this study? For surely I need time, don't I? Can you please give me time, here, God?

I think I heard the Spirit say, "Little Beth finds joy in your presence. She finds joy in nourishing at your breast, for her divine comfort. You are her joy, and I am yours. You find it in my presence and in my Word. Gradually, children replace the joy of Momma's presence, with the joy of My presence. So, go, be with her now. Give her joy in your presence, as I give it to you."

Every Christian has access to all the fruits of the Spirit, including joy. If you are saved, joy is available to you through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

It's common to mistake happiness for joy. Happiness is based on circumstances; joy is based on presence. His presence. Psalm 21:6 Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence. 

Don't gloss over the verses here, but really drink them in.

Psalm 145:18 "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, who call upon Him in truth."

Psalm 43:4 “Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.” 

Habakkuk 3:18-19 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.



Everything available to us through our union with God? It's not automatic. This is a grievous misconception of many a Christian. God must be pursued! We cannot scrub day in and day out, sweep this and that debris away, sacrifice for our families, labor over our children's hearts, and then experience joy automatically. We must pause and go after God. Find him in the garden. Spend time with Him: talk to him (prayer), sing praises to him (worship), and meditate on his Word (study).

Psalm 119:111 “Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.” 

While in His presence we will know peace and joy, despite the circumstances of the moment. Remember that peace is a Person, not a destination. Psalms 63:5-7 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.

Isaiah 12:6 “… Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”


Did you know that if you drink a full glass of water, it boosts your metabolism for some time after you consume it? And the closer you get to 8 glasses a day, the higher your metabolism will be? It's the same with joy! The more you drink in of God and his Word, the more joy you'll have, and the longer it will last. If it's been more than 24 hours since your last fill up, expect anything but joy.

First of all, you aren't likely to obey God if you spend too much time away from him. Disobedience brings unnecessary turmoil. John 15:10  If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Our joy is complete when we remain in Him? It's that simple? Yes! I have experienced this time and again, after horrific hours and even whole days. Joy is only as far away as my Bible and my pause for prayer or song.

“What I am anxious to see in Christian believers is a beautiful paradox. I want to see in them the joy of finding God while at the same time they are blessedly pursuing Him. I want to see in them the great joy of having God yet always wanting Him.” ~ A. W. Tozer

Prayer Time: Dear Heavenly Father, I love you. Thank you for your promised presence. Thank you for the joy it brings to my soul. I pray that same joy for my children, my husband, my family and friends. May we all remain in you daily, may we remember how very close you always are, ready to comfort, nourish and bring joy. Father, thank you that we can pause at any time, during sweeping, during laundry, to speak to you, to sing to you, to drink from your strength and your peace. If needs and children are everywhere and our Bible is not, let us remember song...for we need only our voice to praise you. What a beautiful gift you are! May we spread our joy, sharing the secret with the lost and the lonely. May we not keep hidden that which is most precious .We love you, Father. Thank you for the exceeding joy!

In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

photo credit one, two, three

Bless the Lord, Oh My Soul

My new favorite song. And thank you to Kathleen for posting this video on her blog.

When this song comes on, gratitude tears flow by the second singing of the chorus. It's so powerful and while I sing it, I know exactly what God intended for my soul. Worship. A hand-lifting, tear-flowing worship of the Almighty God. My Redeemer. My faithful Father.

It's no coincidence that so many tears flow during corporate worship. And I don't even go to Pentecostal churches! Those tears? They're evidence that we've been overcome by his grace, by his love, by the sheer magnitude of his sacrifice. And by the faithfulness He's always shown.

If you have loose ends in your life right now and you can't seem to see God's hand in the tethers, be still and know. Worship right through those loose ends.

Philippians 1:6
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus 

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 

Memorize these two verses above and be reminded of this. God doesn't do loose ends.

Take time to worship today. It's your calling.

Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore

Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

Jesus, I'll worship Your holy name
Lord, I'll worship Your holy name

Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name
Jesus, I'll worship Your holy name
I'll worship Your holy name