Is your praise truthful?

Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. (Psalm 103:1-2)

Another thing to consider as we march through our new year - gratitude. Is the state of our heart one of gratitude the majority of the time, or is it consumed more by envy that leads to a greater state of discontent? Some of the hardest times we can go through involve times of 'comparison' - when we compare what we have, where we are at, what we are doing, or who we have 'become' in light of someone else's accomplishments. Perhaps this is why God warns us against comparing ourselves with others (Galatians 6:4-6). Instead, we are to turn our eyes instead toward him and the things he has for each of us. In this alone will we find the greatest contentment. Our whole heart has to buy into this idea of gratefulness, though. We cannot be 'kinda' grateful 'most of the time' and find true contentment. Stop for a moment to consider we may not always be willing to sit and praise God for the 'stuff' of daily life. The very last time you truthfully sat alone with God and thanked him for your present circumstances, the things he is doing in your life right now, and what he has already accomplished for you this year may actually have been done a little 'begrudgingly' since the things happening haven't really 'measured up' to all that you hoped for. The good news is that God isn't going to let 'discontent' hang around a long time in our lives. He will prompt us toward gratefulness because he knows how damaging discontent can actually be.

Praise is actually only 'truthful' when it is done from a grateful heart. We can praise the cook, but if we do it just because they prepared a meal we really didn't 'fully enjoy', it isn't really truthful praise. Come away with a sated belly, having enjoyed every morsel served, and the praise we give might just be a little more 'genuine'. God doesn't look for us to be less than truthful with him. There have been times when I have been truthfully ungrateful for an element of what was happening in my life, but I have been honest in my praise. He knows I was struggling with the circumstances, but the faith and trust I placed in him helping me do my best, getting the most from the moment, and then seeing where it led me down the road didn't mean I wasn't grateful in my praise. It meant I trusted him enough to be honest, knowing what I didn't see right then was totally in his hands. Praise is sometimes best expressed in trust - being grateful might just look a little bit like admitting things aren't perfect, but you know he has good in mind for your life, so you will trust him for the outcome. Just sayin!

The nighttime praise

I remember you while lying on my bed. I think about you in the middle of the night. That is because you are the one who helps me. It makes me happy to be under your protection! I stay close to you, and you hold me with your powerful arm. (Psalm 63:6-8)

There are many ways to remember God, aren't there? We can do something quit formal such as journaling his accomplishments in our lives, or raising our hands in corporate worship. In the stillness of the night hours there are times when his goodness and grace will just flood in. In those moments, the praise is a little less like raising hands and voices in corporate worship, but more of a stillness and peace that just overwhelms you. Did you realize settling into that peace is actually one way we bring praise to him?

God's work in our lives is evident in big ways, such as when he helps us avoid a car wreck, but he is also working when we may not even see it. In the stillness of the night hours, it is often the time when God can still our minds long enough to help us "feel" his presence. While God never tells us tomlean into what we feel, it is never wrong to lean into that feeling of being protected and loved by him. The middle of the night moments may not be every night, but they are awesome when we realize God is speaking to us and his presence in surrounding us.

The condition to realizing these moments is us staying close to him. It is hard to be embraced when we are always pulling away, doing our own thing, being out of touch with him by infrequent contact. We are held by drawing closer and closer. If our closeness to God has not been what it could be, chances are the stillness of night gives us moments to recall our first love and return to it! Even in the conviction of the nighttime hours with him we see his protection and feel his intense desire for us to draw near. Just saying...

Power in his presence

Let your hearts fall under the rule of the Anointed’s peace (the peace you were called to as one body), and be thankful. (Colossians 3:15)

"When you enter his presence with praise, he enters your circumstances with power." (Author Unknown) We see stuff with our eyes, hear it with our ears, and even get it into our minds okay, but getting it to actually affect our hearts takes some doing. When we enter - we bring all manner of worry and heartache with our precursor of praise, don't we? When we enter - we bring all manner of emotional upheaval and depth of need, don't we? All we are called to do is enter - with praise on our lips - and then he does the rest! It may seem hard at times to really praise God, especially when the circumstances are beyond our understanding, or the weight of our burdens has become too great for us to bear up under. Scripture reminds us to enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise (Psalm 100:4), but honestly, it is pretty hard to be thankful at times, much less be filled with praises about the circumstances we find ourselves facing. God doesn't expect us to be false in our praise, but if we remember the purpose of praise, we might just be inclined to praise even a little more than we might feel like it!

Praise is really a way of reminding ourselves who is in the "lead position" in our lives - God. This may be why he asks us to enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. The courts were the place the King did his business - where he sat upon the throne and ruled. When we enter with praise, we are acknowledging he is the one on the throne of our hearts. In the mess of all the muddle around us, he remains the true one in control - giving him praise just acknowledges that control. It is an acknowledgement that he is the one who possesses all we need in order to break free from all the worry, weight, and weariness we bring to him. He enters our circumstances with his power. Power is the opposite of worry. Power is the opposite of the weight we carry - for even the action of simply beginning to lift our hands to the one who is all powerful requires us to lay down what we have been carrying, giving him the ability to pick it up and remove it from our midst. Power is the opposite of the weariness of our bodies and souls which brings us down and makes us slow - for the simple action of lifting our voice in words of heartfelt praise brings refreshing to our souls and eases the weariness of our bodies.

Praise is also a source of exchange - we leave behind what we came with and take up what he provides in exchange. We never leave God's presence empty-handed or empty-hearted. We enter - acknowledging the one who meets our needs fully and without measure. It is praise which opens the doorway to his courts - the place where we find the power we need for the circumstances we cannot overcome without his intervention. We look for power in many places, but it is found only in the midst of his courts. We enter those courts through praise, then worship begins to break open our hearts until we find ourselves "settling down" into the peace of those courts. There it is we find the exchange of our "missed opportunities" and lack of peace beginning to become the opening of new opportunities and the restoration of our peace. As we enter his courts, we "fall under his rule" - our hearts acknowledge his position in our lives, but our spirits are filled to overflowing with the peace which comes from no other source. We bring worry, weariness, and weight beyond our control - he gives us peace, power, and provision - such an exchange has never been offered in any other source. Perhaps we have been looking for the circumstances to change in our lives. Maybe the thing we need to realize is the place where these circumstances actually change - in the courts of the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords! Just praisin!

Living, Breathing Temples

Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! (Psalm 103:2-5)

Praise God will ALL your heart - mind, will, and emotions. There are just times when we don't 'feel' like worshipping, aren't there? Hit your thumb with a hammer and your thoughts may gravitate toward complaint and your emotions are probably all over the board. Get a bill you didn't expect just when you were planning to make that purchase of something you really wanted, and your mind will start racing to see just how you can fenagle both! Mind, will, and emotions can get caught up so easily at times, but then when it comes to spending time with God, we might just find ourselves dragging our feet a bit, taking our 'dear sweet time' to 'get into' that time!

To be honest, God doesn't always equate 'praise' with the words we speak, or the 'quietness' of the moment. Never forget the good things he does for you - this is a clue about worship. We find the blessing in the moment, whether casting our rod at the shoreline on a fishing trip or creating a wooden box for a friend in the wood shop. Praise considers the blessing of the moment - never forgetting each moment is planned by God. We choose to enjoy the moment, or to wish it away. The mind, will, and emotions can do a great deal 'in the moment', or they can make the moment miserable. The choice is ours.

After a hard day in the workshop, on my feet the whole time, lifting this or that, I can 'hurt' in my physical body. It makes me never want to take for granted the blessing of a day without a backache or sore feet! I mess up from time to time, saying what I shouldn't, doing what should have been left 'undone', or taking for granted some blessing God has provided in my life. In other words, I need his forgiveness. I don't want to ever stop considering the blessing of grace. How about you?

Never forget - it is more than a motto. It is to be a lifestyle that is exemplified by us not taking the moment for granted. It is given by God, used by us, and it if used wisely, it is a blessing back to God. Our lives are to be vessels of praise and thanksgiving. Our actions are to reflect back his grace. Our attitude is to shine forth his goodness. Our thoughts are to create an atmosphere where his presence is welcomed and embraced. In so doing, we aren't having to 'stop to praise', but our lives are 'living, breathing temples of praise'. Just sayin!

These three gifts

What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and praise the Lord’s name for saving me. I will keep my promises to the Lord in the presence of all his people. (Psalm 116:12-14)

We all have those moments when we want to offer something to God, but whatever it is we seem to come up with just doesn't seem like enough. God doesn't ask much from us - he gives us so very much, but he asks little in return (or so it seems). If you have ever tried to keep your promises that you have made to God, you might have discovered it can be a little harder than you first thought!

As our psalmist points out, there are a few things we can 'offer the Lord'. If you have also tried to share your faith with another, you are doing one of the things he outlines. The testimony God gives us is actually a 'gift' we can share with others. That hope he places deep within our heart and the sense of freedom he brings into our lives is not easily contained - begging to be shared. Whenever we share our faith, we are actually giving a very special 'offering' to God, but we are also giving others the chance to bring a similar gift.

When we offer praise, lifting our hands and hearts in worship, we are bringing a 'gift' that actually transcends our circumstances. We don't have to 'feel like' praise is 'doing something' within us to offer it. Praise is a gift to God - we just get the 'side-benefit' of being 'lifted' in our spirit and emotions as we bring this precious gift. Isn't it amazing that the gift we bring God could actually be something that benefits us in such a large way? Perhaps the 'gifts' we offer to God have a wider-reaching effect than we first thought.

As we move into the realm of obedience, we are bringing a gift that actually begins to 'cost' us something we may not have really wanted to give at first. As hard as it might be to share our faith with others, praise and worship when times are challenging, it can be harder to look into God's Word and find places in our lives that aren't in line with what he requires of us. These are the moments where the toughest gift to offer is actually be prepared. We are beginning to move from a self-governed lifestyle into a lifestyle of being 'God-governed'. We call this obedience.

We may not think of these three things as 'gifts' we offer to God, but could it be possible we should begin to 'offer' these on a more consistent basis? Just askin!

Choose Wisely

I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together. (Psalm 34:1-3)

As with all actions, praise is a choice. As Paul tells us, "...let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name." (Hebrews 13:15) I don't think it is unusual for us to allow circumstances or situations outside of our control to influence our choices - we all likely do it on occasion. There is one choice that must be made with a full awareness of what is involved in that choice: Praise. We are determining to praise no matter what difficulty we face - we will not allow those things to control our attitude. Could it be possible that praise is really an attitude? It just might be!

Life's tough issues are bound to come to all of us and what we choose to dwell upon in those times will determine how we face them and how well we come through them. We can choose to grumble, complain, and almost grow bitter over them, or we can look at them as an opportunity. As someone once told me, God only disturbs our present in order to improve our future. When we begin to see the difficulties through that lens, we might just see it differently, choosing a much different attitude as we walk through those hard times. Are we tempted to grumble because it is hard? Yes, but we also could choose to turn that 'grumble' into praise - getting an attitude adjustment in the process.

The same individual pointed out to me that there was absolutely no way for me to choose another person's attitude. I could only choose mine. That meant I was not responsible for how another may face the circumstances at hand, but I could choose how I would. Too many times, I think we feel like we are responsible for how another acts, but they choose that attitude, and that attitude choice determines their actions. Our own attitude choice determines our response to the issues at hand. This is another important aspect of praise - we keep current with the issues. Too many times, people get into a grumbling and complaining attitude because they 'nurse' the past problems right along with the present ones.

God asks us to bring our cares (concerns, issues, troubling circumstances, doubts, worries, fears) to him. Nothing affects our attitude more than remaining current! We don't want to 'dwell' upon the stuff that was hard. We want to celebrate how much we know God is with us even when the issues are difficult. We can allow the issue to dictate our attitude, or we can allow God's promise to keep us, care for us, never leave us to influence our thoughts and actions. Choose to praise God with a genuine trust in his love for you and the circumstances may not change, but your attitude toward those circumstances will. Just sayin!

Honor belongs to him

Honor the Lord, you heavenly beings; honor the Lord for his glory and strength. Honor the Lord for the glory of his name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. (Psalm 29:1-2)

Honor is something we give to another, but we should never seek it for ourselves. When it comes to God, we first recognize he is worthy of all honor, then we 'ascribe' it to him - we declare it in our minds, hearts, and even our actions. Unlike us humans, he actually deserves that honor! Unlike humans, his 'right' for honor never fades and it is not 'circumstantial'. In other words, he deserves it because he is always consistent, never changing, and divine through and through. 

How or when do we honor God in our lives? I think it could begin the minute we begin to speak with him about anything at all. When we consider the words of prayer, are they filled with honor? Do we exalt his name and honor him with our words? Even our songs should bring honor to his name. This is why it is so powerful to enter into worship and praise. It exalts him - revealing that we are giving him his rightful place in our lives to rule and reign as our Lord God Almighty. 

How about those times when we share something really awesome God has done in our lives? Those words come easily, don't they? They proclaim the goodness of his activity on our behalf - having 'done' something that we both appreciate and rejoice over. Do these things have to be 'big' things? No, but a word of caution here. We can become so 'rote' in our 'praise' of God that the words we share are almost 'hollow'. The term "God is Good" with the response "All the Time" can become a matter of 'rote praise' if we allow it. We must always ensure that our praise or testimony of his actions in our lives is genuine, heartfelt, and reveals the true honor he deserves.

Worship is giving honor, but it is very specific. It is done intentionally. We don't 'enter into worship' by just singing along with the worship leaders at church on Sunday. We 'enter into worship' when our hearts are behind the words, our minds are focused on his goodness, and our emotions are given over to praising him with all our being. Worship can be quite engaging, but we might just miss out on something God will do in those times if we aren't worshiping him 'in spirit and in truth'. Just sayin!

Does it count for much?

As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them. (2 Corinthians 10:17-18)

How many times do you hear someone brag about what they have accomplished and wonder why they find it necessary to boast so much about such a small thing? Truth be told, I have been amongst the braggarts on occasion! Not a pretty sight. Boasting is really for the purpose of calling attention to oneself. As a young person, I thought unless people were always paying attention to you, they didn't like you. My bragging actually drove them away, not closer! Now, it goes without saying, if I catch the big fish on that next fishing outing, I am holding it high, but I don't do it to 'call attention' to my 'angling expertise'. I am just jazzed to have snagged one! Sometimes we 'call attention' to our accomplishments in quite an innocent fashion, while at others, it is to get some kind of praise from someone else. 

When people commend themselves - is it possible some may actually 'commend themselves' because they don't hear any praise from any other source? Someone raised in that kind of environment, constantly badgered or put down by another, may actually 'hunger' for some form of recognition or praise. Maybe we can understand some form of bragging when that is the case, but even when no one else around you recognizes your extreme worth or values your input in this world, God does! Nothing we do ever escapes his notice, and I will tell you this for certain - a 'pat on the back' from God is ten times more rewarding than one from some stranger on this earth. God's recognition goes beyond the praises of the moment, or even the high five of success. It ministers to our spirit and nourishes our soul.

Mom used to remind me it was not my responsibility to 'tell others how good I am', but to live in such a way that the goodness is evident. Maybe that is what Paul is reminding us of this morning - live in a way that requires no amount of 'bragging' in order for the evidence of God's work within to be noticed. In another passage, we are reminded it is good to hear God's, "Well done, my good and faithful servant", when we cross over from this life into the next. I imagine we will all find such delight in those words of praise - much, much more than those accolades we receive on this earth. Just sayin!

Sing a Psalm

Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him. (Psalm 95:1-2)

What is a psalm? We know there is a book of those things in the middle of our Bibles, but what exactly is the purpose of a psalm? In Old Testament times, they used poems and songs in worship, known as psalms. They were often recited or sung while a stringed instrument (similar to a harp) was played. I don't play a musical instrument, but I am capable of raising my voice in worship to the Lord. Does all my worship sound like a 'poem' or 'psalm'? Not always, but even words of thanks are words of worship!

We are instructed to 'shout joyfully' to the Rock of our salvation. Ever just feel like you needed to express something to God, but didn't know how? Maybe you just needed to let loose with a good old, "Wahoo", or the like! What did David show us in the Book of Psalms? He shared his experiences with God - highs and lows, rough seasons and seasons of plenty. He shared his fears, anxious thoughts, and dashed hopes. Equally important to note is that he also shared how God helped with each of those fears, anxious thoughts, and disappointments.

The purpose of a psalm is to express the heart. Does our heart always want to shout 'hymns of praise'? Nope! In fact, there are times when we just want to cry out in our disappointment and despair, knowing that someone who loves us so deeply will hear us and take notice of our extreme need. I know my heart is free to express whatever my spirit and soul needs to express, and God is not offended in the least when those things are not always joy-filled or triumphant.

How about you? Do you feel free to express your spirit and soul to God openly and honestly? You can, you know. It just takes the first word, followed closely by the second, and so on. Why not open your time with God today with your very own psalm - words that express your heart to the one who holds your heart so very, very close to his? You might be amazed how soon those words of worry, dashed hopes, and frustrations begin to turn into words of trust, vision, and peace. Just sayin!

Time for a celebration

Hallelujah! Sing to God a brand-new song, praise him in the company of all who love him. Let all Israel celebrate their Sovereign Creator, Zion’s children exult in their King. Let them praise his name in dance; strike up the band and make great music! And why? Because God delights in his people, adorns plain folk with salvation garlands! (Psalm 149:4)

If God were to hear you sing to him - just to him - what would that song be today? Would it be a lamenting tune, focusing on all the woes of the world around you? Would it be a cheerful, warm, and happy tune, focusing on all God is doing to take care of you at this very moment? Would it be a worshipful song - one in which the focus is not so much what God is or has been doing, but on who he is? His name is worthy of praise. He is to be exalted - not for what he does, but for who he is - our Savior.

Celebrating God may seem foreign to some who have not grown up in a home where God was in the center of all that transpired. It may not be the easiest for those who have come through life challenges too innumerable and disgusting to admit have occurred. It may not be foremost in the mind of the one so consumed with the 'why me' questions that they fail to see God in the midst of the present calamity. That doesn't change the fact that God should be celebrated. Nothing will elevate our fallen and broken spirit or emotions more than raising our hands and voices in worship.

God has adorned us with all manner of beauty - even though we may not feel very beautiful at times. He has outfitted us with 'salvation garments' - the best fitting garments to be found. Think of them as 'grace garments' - one fitting so well upon the other until we are totally covered by his grace. That alone should cause us to exalt his name! Nothing 'ugly' or 'unbecoming' is left uncovered - it is transformed by the garment of grace. Celebrate grace today and in so doing, you will be celebrating God himself. Just sayin!

Let's get our 'WE' out of the way

But the time is coming—it has, in fact, come—when what you’re called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter. “It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly [humble] themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.” (John 4:24)

Who you are - a believer in Christ, as evidenced by the way you live - that is what matters - not the church affiliation you proclaim. It is clearly a matter of who we worship, not where we worship. Do we worship the Christ, the living Son of God? Do we serve him with our full devotion? If the answer is yes, then we are on the right path! It is a measure of how 'engaged' your spirit is in the pursuit of truth - not that you have the 'only truth', 'better truth', or the 'secret truth'. 

If we are followers of Christ, our lives are to be marked with simple and honest humility in worship. That means we live transparently before our God - in humility acknowledging our short-falls and then paying close attention to the help he grants to help us with those short-falls. How do we worship God? Can we do it in our own strength? No clearly, we cannot, for 'WE' gets in the way of worship. We need the Holy Spirit to show us how to worship - to bring our hearts and minds into submission so we can truly lay our lives open before Christ.

We go wrong when we think we can just enter into worship kind of 'blindly' - stumbling along in our own efforts. We turn that wrong pursuit around when we open ourselves to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Who we are will not be who we are tomorrow when we allow our teacher, the Holy Spirit, to guide us into true and open times of worship. Why? We will be led to the foot of the altar and it is there we will be changed. The way we live is transformed by how we worship - do you see that in this passage? 

Rather than settle for superficial worship - the kind where we say the words, but the heart isn't really behind them - let's begin to 'worship' as God intends. Let his Holy Spirit guide our withered and worn souls into the throne room of God. It is there we can find rest and peace for the weariness of our day. It is there we find the health and hope our spirit so craves. It is there we are renewed and restored. How is this possible? Because we bring what we are, complete with all our short-falls, chips, and dings, and allow the Holy Spirit to lay us bare. It may not be comfortable to worship this way, but when WE get out of the way, God is free to touch us exactly where we need his touch. Just sayin!

Strum those strings

On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence. Know this: God is God, and God, God. He made us; we didn’t make him. We’re his people, his well-tended sheep. Enter with the password: “Thank you!” Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him. For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever. (Psalm 100)

I have a 'password keeper vault' in order to keep track of all the passwords I use - how about you? There is on password that I will never need to enter into that vault, though - the one that gives me access to the presence of God! Saying 'yes' to Jesus opened the access - grateful heart expressing all manner of praise and worship gives me freedom to enter into his presence time and time again.

Well-tended sheep - doesn't that conjure up a great picture? I walk through some small 'white fence farms' around me and there is this one place that uses sheep to 'tend' the yard. He places a few in a square enclosure on wheels and then moves it around and around the yard until that large piece of property is 'mowed' by his 'natural lawnmowers'. Yesterday, on sheep stood there just bellowing - no other sheep in the pen, so not sure if he was lonely, needed the pen moved to a 'greener spot', or just saw us and wanted to make himself known. He tends those sheep well, but I am sure we are much better attended!

The pen usually has a couple of sheep and even a lamb or two in the lambing season. Not sure why the solitary sheep stood there that day - perhaps the grass wasn't long enough to support more than one. That sheep wasn't happy and it was letting us know. I think the grass looked greener somewhere else and that is why it was making all that racket. Isn't it so like us to make a bit of a racket whenever we think the grass isn't as green as we want it? We 'bellow' for a bit of movement, feeling trapped in our present circumstances and like no one is aware of us. All the while, God is just waiting for us to get content where we are, calling out in praise and thanksgiving rather than discontent and grumpiness!

God can be counted on - even when we feel a little 'penned in'. He can be trusted to know the bigger plan - moving us when the time is just right. Choose joy rather than discontent. Open you lips and begin to praise instead of bemoaning the fact you aren't where you want to be. You could just be surprised by how quickly God comes when those gratitude words strum the strings of his heart! Just sayin!

A good lesson

The purity of silver and gold is tested by putting them in the fire; the purity of human hearts is tested by giving them a little fame. (Proverbs 27:21)

Praise is definitely one of the things which always puts to the test the integrity of a man or woman. Too much and they could get big heads, making it almost impossible to live with them. Too little and they will have issues with their self-esteem, often forming resentment towards those who receive praise instead of them - like bears woken from their slumber, they will lash out. Just enough and the individual seems to flourish. We all need praise - but do we handle it as we should? We all give praise - but is it sincere? Praise can either be an expression of appreciation, approval, or admiration. With praise, we express our respect, and often our gratitude, for others. When we praise God, we are often showing him both respect and an expression of our thankfulness for all he does and has done for us. When we praise someone else, we may simply be showing how much they mean to us and how much their actions have impacted us in a positive manner.

Praise is like a "barometer" of our true character. We are tested by how we respond to praise - what we "do" with it determines how it affects us. When something is tested, there is a process underway to determine the quality or reliability of the object being tested. Praise reveals both the strength and the integrity of an individual. When praise is received, we have many choices in how we will "accept" it. Some of us in this group will receive it whole-heartedly, almost as though we expected it. I doubt the ore in a furnace ever expects the heat, so beware of being too 'expecting' of praise! In fact, the ore in the furnace undoubtedly has no idea what it is being subjected to - all it knows is it is "hot"! The same may be true of us when receiving praise - we don't know how much "heat" it will bring into our lives! Praise turns up the heat, so to speak, testing every fiber of our integrity. If you have ever struggled with a little bit of pride, you know pride is oftentimes fed by the volume of praise received. Just like a fire in a furnace, if praise is given frequently, the "fire" burns hotter! Praise is a testing of a man's ability to maintain proper focus and balance - some do better than others at this point of finding 'balance'.

Consider the cost of a little fame - it seems insignificant at first, but is it really? Fame is what some may call our "public" reputation. We are told to consider how our public reputation is put to the test whenever we receive words of appreciation, approval, or admiration. In fact, we probably should also consider just how much our hearts are affected by our "giving" of praise! When we are giving praise in the right manner, and with the right motive, we might just find our hearts are built up. When we give praise to manipulate another, or just to share kind words without any really heartfelt motivation behind it, we might begin to feel our hearts getting a little harder as we begin to set ourselves us as "superior" to another. Whenever we give insincere praise, we are hurting both the other person and ourselves. The other person needs honest appraisal, not flattery. We need to be honest - flattery is really a form of dishonesty in any relationship. I am not saying we don't ever say a kind word - I believe we can find good in all people (we may just have to look a little deeper in some than others). We must not use our words of praise as a means of manipulating another. We also must not use them to give another a false sense of security.

So, perhaps we need to take our lead from those who learned to praise well. David was a man with a good sense of how to give and receive praise. He knew the first place his praise was directed would always be to God. Just as he learned to exclaim the repute of his God, he learned to proclaim the goodness of those who were faithful, supportive, and consistent in their walk - men and women of integrity that he surrounded himself with. Paul constantly lifted up the churches who followed hard after Christ. He learned to give them words of praise which encouraged them to seek even harder - to draw even nearer to Christ. These examples remind us praise should be sincere and it must be from a heart that is first focused on Christ. So, praise on! Don't stoke the fire with insincerity, but with genuine respect and appreciation of another. When you do, you are learning to build up another in a positive manner. In so doing, you are helping them to learn to find 'balance' in their own lives - it might just test them a little, but out of every test can come a good lesson. Just sayin!

A song in the night

The Lord will send His loving-kindness in the day. 

And His song will be with me in the night, a prayer to the God of my life. 

(Psalm 42:8)

How would you describe the Lord's 'loving-kindness' in your life? As a kid, I would have described it as the nice home I lived in, the neat toys I had, or even the super-speedy bike I rode. As a young adult, I would maybe have thought about the ways God provides for my needs such as a good job, food on the table, and freedom from disease or injury. As an older adult, I now look back over my life and begin to recount the loving-kindness of God in a much different manner. I'd have to say it was known in the embrace of a loving father, the gentle hand hold of a dedicated mother, and the warm hugs from a close friend. It is the 'thank you's' from you kids and grand-kids when you just shared a good meal, or the happy look on your grandson's face when he was the first one to catch the fish on that day outing. Loving-kindness has many forms, doesn't it? Depending on the 'phase' of life you are in, the loving-kindness of God may be felt in different ways, but one thing remains true throughout - his loving-kindness never leaves us short of knowing his presence is with us in all things!

Daytime is probably the easiest for some because we have distractions that keep our mind off of our worries a little. At night, our worries are able to find an easy 'inroad' into our minds because we have less distractions and our thoughts can be carried away quite easily. God doesn't leave us alone in those thoughts, though. He comes to us in the song of worship and praise we might lift to him. I often awake in the dead of night, finding I am rehearsing a particular line from a song over and over in my thoughts. I don't do it purposefully, it is just 'happening' without my conscious thought. How does that happen? I think it is perhaps God working in our subconscious to bring forth that very reminder we needed to help us settle our thoughts and return to our slumber once again. It isn't even the whole song I am rehearsing - it is one or two lines at the most - over and over again. Does that ever happen to you? If it does, maybe it is God reminding you of some way he is intervening in your life, or reminding you he is in control over your worries. His song becomes a prayer to him - perhaps because the Holy Spirit is prompting that prayer, but at other times because our mind and heart needs to just unburden and sing it forth. It may be 'conscious', or it may be in the 'subconscious', but the effect is the same - God is reminding us of who is in control. 

What song are you singing right now? What loving-kindness of God are you most aware of today? These aren't simply questions for you to gloss over. They are challenges to stop for just a moment to consider your song and his blessings. Then let God know you are ever so grateful for both! Just sayin!

Open doors, not the earth!

How much time do you spend "pondering"? Pondering is way more than just letting your mind wander here or there. Pondering carries with it the idea of considering something so carefully that we are going through the mental process of weighing all the details, with an attentiveness to the details that help us to not miss a thing. God actually commends those of us who spend time in such a manner! This is how God wants us to be considering his actions on our behalf. There is nothing more rewarding than to truly begin to consider God's love and grace in action - it has a way of refocusing our attention and directing our attitude away from "me, me, me" - something we need more help with than we might want to admit. We are very 'me' focused individuals - even if we don't see it, others can attest to this fact!

We pondered your love-in-action, God, waiting in your temple: Your name, God, evokes a train
of Hallelujahs wherever it is spoken, near and far; your arms are heaped with goodness-in-action. 
(Psalm 48:9-10)

Do you know who the sons of Korah were in scripture? There were five sons of Korah that joined King David as expert warriors, but their heritage is marked by some pretty serious rebellion in their forefather, Korah. Korah was one of the individuals who rebelled against Moses and Aaron because he was jealous of all the attention and authority they received. His rebellion led to a few hundred followers also rebelling, but also to their ultimate end as the earth opened up and swallowed them! It just goes to show that when 'me' gets in the way of what our true focus should be, the outcome may not be to get what we really wanted! We also know from the record of the lineage of Korah, that his family line was numbered among the Levites (those that kept the temple in order). They were the door-keepers of the temple and were responsible to help carry the articles contained within the temple from place to place as Israel wandered in the wilderness. When they were not on the move, they stood at the threshold of the temple in their duties of service. As the temple became a permanent structure in the city of Jerusalem, we find their names recorded as men who were charged with the responsibility of setting prophesy and praise to song, along with melody from musical instruments. Today, we'd think of them as the men that "open the service in praise and worship" - worship leaders. If we consider their "station" in the temple, they are the ones who provide the way into the holy presence of God through praise and worship - a long way from the rebellion of their forefather.

There is importance in speaking the name of God. We are told that it invokes praise and worship where it is spoken. Why is this? There is power in the name of God - creative, restorative power that just beckons one to cry out in praise. We may not always see the immediate effect of his name being spoken, but there is a power so intense in that name that all of heaven and earth sits at attention when it is spoken. It is by that name that all things are held together - even us - think on that one for just a moment. Praise is the "pondering" of God's movement in our lives. It is the frequent and consistent consideration of the keeping, strengthening, delivering power of our God. When we become less focused on ourselves, and more focused on honoring God with every word that proceeds from our mouths, we open doors. We may not have the "job" of being the door-keepers in the temple of our God, but we do have a similar opportunity in opening doors for a hungry and thirsty world. We need only begin to speak of God's graces and someone who is hurting can be drawn into the presence of the one who can minister to that specific hurt. In the exalting of the name of God, they are ushered into the arms that are filled with all goodness in action - all the grace they need awaits them.

If you want to learn how to be a "ponderer" of God's graces and his goodness, God honors that desire with his presence. If you want to learn to express the wonder of his love even better than you have in the past, he will meet you in the moment of your praise. So, praise on! There is nothing wrong with opening a few doors, when those doors lead into the presence of God. We don't want to become so 'me' focused that what we encounter is our pride and rebellion. We will do much better by allowing God's presence to wash over us, turning our eyes again toward him, and seeing just how magnificent his presence is for those who stop long enough to 'ponder' him. Just sayin!

A nod says it all

I bless the holy name of God with all my heart. 2 Yes, I will bless the Lord and not forget the glorious things he does for me. 3 He forgives all my sins. He heals me. 4 He ransoms me from hell. He surrounds me with loving-kindness and tender mercies. 5 He fills my life with good things! My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! 6 He gives justice to all who are treated unfairly. (Psalm 103:1-6 TLB)

What "glorious things" has God done for you lately? If someone asked you that question today, how would you answer them? What is the first thing that would come to mind as something he has "done lately" on your behalf? Many of us would fall back on the old rote answer of having saved our souls and keeping us from all harm, but how could we be more specific in our account? Many times we find the easiest answer comes in the form of those generalized comments, lacking the true thought or consideration behind it. God isn't stingy in his love, so let us not be stingy in our acknowledgement of how he reveals that love in us!

Our answers are to come from "all our heart" - in other words, with some emotion and true appreciation for these things. There are moments when I specifically thank God for keeping me from the pain of colliding with another vehicle in my journey somewhere. I have narrowly avoided an "impact" which would have damaged my vehicle, possibly my body, and the other's life or possessions. It may be due to my distraction, or totally out of my control, but either way, I am intensely grateful for the protection God provided at that very moment when one of us wasn't as "focused" as we needed to be!

There are times in life we become distracted by "life" that we just miss the moments of God's intense blessing. It isn't that we don't receive them, it is that we don't acknowledge them as we should. As easy as it is for us to miss the opportunity to point out those blessings in the moment, it is equally as easy to begin to develop a way to "recount" those blessings - if not immediately, at least at the end or beginning of the day. I think God wants us to have that quiet time with him at some point in our day to help us not miss those moments totally. He wants us to take time to realize all the ways his protection, provision, and power has been operational in our lives.

I had the opportunity yesterday to spend a little time working in the yard on my latest project with the help of my son. I just don't see him as much these days as I'd like to, so every moment with him is cherished (even if we are up to our elbows in dirt and grime). At one moment, I must have had a questioning look on my face as we were attempting to figure out how to level a particular piece of land to be ready to receive my workshop build. In a matter of fact way, he simply stated, "Mom, I've got this! I've done this before." I stared at him a moment and nodded, backing away in delight that he "had it". It made me think of the many times I must look at God with a quizzical look on my face and then hear his answer, "Child, I've got this...I've done this before."

God doesn't expect gigantic moments of praise each and every time he blesses us with his presence, but he does appreciate that same "nod" and then our stepping back to let him continue to display his power, protection, and provision in all the wonderful ways he does! Just sayin!

The skies display his craftsmanship...

The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. 

(Psalm 19:1-2 NLT)

Scripture describes the accolades that are raised as Jesus enters Jerusalem just before he is crucified, with throngs of people laying down garments and palm branches to make a pathway for his entrance, all the while calling out praises to God for all the miracles they had been witnesses to as Jesus ministered on this earth. The religious leaders are none too excited Jesus is receiving all this "attention", so they tell him to rebuke these followers for the things they are saying. Jesus simply turns and pointedly says, "If they keep quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!" All of creation is meant to praise the eternal God, even the majestic skies, roaring seas, and soft babbling brooks.

As a kid on hot summer days, I'd find a semi-shaded spot and just "sky gaze" while luxuriating in the coolness of that shade. I'd listen as birds sent their melodious messages from one branch to the other, crickets chirped their incessant songs of impassioned pleas, cicadas buzzed as the busily shed their outer shell of skin, and the occasional breeze rustled the leaves underfoot. As I gazed upward, I noticed something - the skies are never the same. From day to day, the hue of the blue changed and the colors painted at various times of the day were always different. Even the con-trails of the passing airplanes sometimes stretched from one corner to the other, while at others they disappeared into what seemed like "thin air" almost as soon as they were formed. The skies were full of clouds one moment, than clear the next. There was a constancy to the uncertainty of the changes I observed, but a beauty to be found in that "constant change" nonetheless - a beauty that declared the majesty of the Creator indeed.

It should come as no surprise to us that nature even has a way of praising the Creator of all things. The constant lapping of waves on the shore produces a melody of rhythmic praise all its own, while the gently ruffling of the mulberry leaves in the gentle afternoon breezes declare a melody quite unique to them alone. The whispering of the pines and the gurgling of the brooks, each declare some simple, yet profound truth of praise to the one who both created them and sustains them at the same time! All of creation - that includes us - will join in praise one day, bowing before the feet of Jesus and echoing accolades that not only declare what we have seen, but what we have come to know in our hearts - that God exists, rules supreme, and is the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings!

In the meantime, let us never lose sight of the fact God is deserving of our praise - not just because he does miracles in our midst, but because he is the one who both created and sustains us in all things. Yes, those miracles create a sense of awe, but it is the beauty of his creation - the complexity of it all working together - that causes me to praise him. From the complexity of the skies and seas, to the inner-working of the many systems which make up the human body, all declare there is a Creator deserving of praise and worship! Just sayin!

Praise Him, all creatures here below...

Praise the Lord from the earth, you creatures of the ocean depths, fire and hail, snow and clouds, wind and weather that obey him, mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all livestock, small scurrying animals and birds, kings of the earth and all people, rulers and judges of the earth, young men and young women, old men and children. 

(Psalm 148:7-12 NLT)

I had the privilege of enjoying a solid week with my BFF away from the busy schedules of work life with both of being able to just "settle into" the beauty of nature and the peacefulness of the cool pines. It was enjoyable to take walks among the tall pines and take in the wonder of huge boulders balancing precariously one upon the other. The gentle lapping waters of the lakes and the sound of tiny scampering feet as the squirrels made their way from one "stash" to the other just has a way of relaxing the soul and re-centering the mind. We took one Sunday morning to enjoy a rather leisurely, but long hike through the woods, listening in wonder as the trees seemed to carry the tune of praise to the one who created their majesty. I recall turning to my BFF and sharing that it seemed to me the trees were keeping beat with the song of praise gathering in my mind and spirit as we traversed that forest land. It should never amaze us that even nature cries out to the Creator!

Don't ever think the Master of all Creation takes for granted even one breath of praise. He is ever-listening to even the "breathed praises" of our minds! James reminds us that every good and every perfect gift is from the Father above. Nothing exists without his care - nothing then should remain silent where it comes to giving him praise and worship. As I set one foot in front of the other, pausing to take a photo here or there of the loveliness of the scenery I was beholding, the doxology so many of us may be familiar with kept running through my mind - "Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow". The words are simple actually:

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
(Thomas Ken, 1694)

The power of praise - it cannot be underestimated, for it has a way of filling the empty soul and encouraging the downcast spirit. The mind is renewed and the heart is set free to take in the beauty around, not by accident, but because God has purposed to allow us the enjoyment of taking in such magnificent moments. It doesn't matter where you worship God, although his plan was always for us to do it in conjunction with other believers. It matters that we engage in the action of praise and the heart-connection of worship. If it has been a while since you celebrated the goodness of God and enjoyed the many wonders around you that he has prepared for your enjoyment, then maybe it is time to just relax a little - allowing his presence to sweep over you until you are once again at rest and in peace. Just sayin!

Don't be stingy!

I know there is nothing better for us than to be joyful and to do good throughout our lives; to eat and drink and see the good in all of our hard work is a gift from God. I know everything God does endures for all time. Nothing can be added to it; nothing can be taken away from it. We humans can only stand in awe of all God has done.  What has been and what is to be—already is. (Ecclesiastes 3:12-15 VOICE)  

Hard work - we use that term to describe the fruitful endeavors of our hands, the back-breaking labor of our energies exerted in some task needing to be finally accomplished, and the exhaustion of our minds as we settle back to rest our weary bodies after a long day at the "salt mine" we call "work".  Hard implies we had to put some effort into it - maybe it was more than just physically fatiguing because it was troublesome for us to accomplish.  I have undertaken some projects on occasion which game me more headaches and soreness in my muscles that I wondered if it was all worth it once I got done. I just had to stand back and admire the work that was accomplished to know the answer to that musing, though.  There is nothing better than the sense of accomplishing something which just seemed to be beyond your abilities!  I think God must revel in our excitement when we stand back and just get excited about what he did in our lives once we let him get "underway" with that area which has been "troublesome" to us!

All the God does endures for all times - even when the memory of it become clouded by all the events which have come since.  We have a tendency to "move on" in our lives - seeing that good brought momentary excitement and fulfillment, but eventually, we move on.  We have other things to get on with in our lives and the "good" God has done some time in the past sort of fades into the background, overshadowed by the next troublesome thing we face either emotionally, physically, or spiritually.  Remembering what God HAS done helps us to face what God is presently DOING and what he may be setting up in our lives to have DONE in the future, though.  It isn't always a good thing to put the past memory of God's grace in the shadows of today's present problems - we may just find strength, or the building block upon which he will lay the "next row of bricks" in our lives.

Solomon spends the majority of the Book of Ecclesiastes reminding us we can build, work hard with our hands, muse over scientific studies, apply ourselves to the gaining of knowledge galore, all to be found as pretty worthless in the end. It isn't that these aren't good things - for they are gifts of God - but they pale in comparison to all God does in our lives we may not even recognize he has done! To focus on the task and forget the one who gives us the ability to accomplish the task is what Solomon wants us to guard against - for nothing else matters as much as how connected we become with Jesus in the process of taking on the tasks we see laid out before us!  There is no greater expanse of beauty for our souls than to stand squarely in the presence of God and admire what he has done. We can take credit for the hard work we have done with our own hands, but we cannot ever take credit for the way God orchestrates our lives to allow us to be in the place to do those things.  

God deserves our praise, but he also deserves our time - just to take in all he has done, is doing and is about to do in our lives.  This isn't wasted time - it is time spent replenishing our souls, refreshing our minds, rebuilding our emotions, and in general, it is the time we "recharge" for the tasks which are just ahead.  Don't skimp on time with Jesus - he doesn't skimp on anything with us!  Just sayin!

Stop, just for a moment, and look up

Oprah Winfrey made a comment once which kind of struck me:  "The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate."  I think there is something about celebrating the things in life which God has done in our lives which gives us a deeper awareness of his presence, develops a deeper sense of gratefulness, and just gets us closer to his heart when we do.  It isn't US celebrating what WE have done, but rather us celebrating what HE has done.  Friedrich Nietzsche was a German philosopher who often wrote and spoke of the "death of God".  In his mind, a God who had to be praised all the time was not "worth" believing in.  What a sad state of mind to think a God who does so much for mankind, from creating man to creating all that mankind enjoys, is not worth praising!  Maria Mitchell was a female astronomer (rare in her days) who discovered a comet which eventually was named the "Miss Mitchell's Comet".  She was the first American female astronomer.  Even in the study of astronomy, she saw the majesty and mystery of God.  She penned these words, "Every formula which expresses a law of nature is a hymn of praise to God." 

O my soul, come, praise the Eternal with all that is in me—body, emotions, mind, and will—every part of who I am— praise His holy name. O my soul, come, praise the Eternal; sing a song from a grateful heart; sing and never forget all the good He has done. (Psalm 103:1-2 VOICE)

David reminds us of the importance of praise being a kind of "all-consuming" thing - with us using our body, emotions, mind, and will (every part of who we are) to praise the magnificence of the God of all creation.  Too many times we count on the circumstances of life to determine if we are going to be praising, sadly complaining, or even criticizing.  If we were to change our focus a little, we might just find we'd do a little less complaining or criticizing of our circumstances and a whole lot more praising of the God who rules over those circumstances in the first place!

Every part of who we are - stop for a moment to consider the word picture presented here.  Body - movement of any kind, from raising our hands, to tapping our feet, or even swaying to the music gently playing in the background, this is the use of our body in praise.  Emotions - we certainly know how much influence our emotions have over our attitude, don't we?  Maybe David is trying to get us to change our attitude toward the circumstances by changing the direction our emotions are taking us.  When we begin to consider God's provisions in our lives, we cannot help but begin to get a little less focused on the sadness or seriousness of the circumstances and a little more focused on the greatness of God's desire to be center-stage in the midst of those circumstances. 

Mind - so much of what we do in life is because of thought and thought begins in the mind.  Mindfulness in praise is really a centering of one's thoughts, for even a short period of time, off of the distractions of the day, or the intensity of the circumstances, toward God.  We try so much to "think our way out" of the mess we find ourselves in, when perhaps the best "tact" to take in the realm of the circumstances we are in is one of a little less thinking and a little more trusting.  Trust begins in the mind - for what we "believe in" as the solution to our problem in life will often be the thing we rely upon to be the solution.  When we center our thoughts on God, we might just find ourselves trusting a little more in his solution and a little less upon our own.

Will - that side of us which gets us into so many a pickle, and sometimes keeps us from actually getting beyond where we are because we are digging in so stubbornly.  Ever stop for just a moment to consider God's presence?  When you do, what kind of happens to your stubbornness, or your willful disobedience?  When we are headlong in pursuit of whatever satisfies our present longing, stopping for even one moment to praise God does something we might not have considered - it disarms our willfulness!  You cannot truly enter into praise of God and remain willfully disobedient or stubbornly committed to the pursuit of anything selfish in nature.  You will find yourself returning to a place of submitting that thing to God's grace and asking for the forgiveness you so desperately need.

In thinking about praise, it isn't the things WE accomplish in life which make it to the top of the "praise list" today.  It isn't our ability to rule over the circumstances.  It isn't even that we come to a place of understanding the circumstances, so much as it is us coming to a place of understanding who it is who is in control of those circumstances.  Maybe some think praise is not important, but when I consider the giving of all that I am to praise the one who gave all that he is on my behalf, I don't get the same impression!  Just sayin!