Letting it Show

And Mary said, “My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” Luke 1:46,47 (New American Standard Bible)

Mary is not waiting until she holds her promised child in her hands to start rejoicing…..she is expressing her praise now! She knows the importance and necessity of giving voice to the truth. Her very words are the expression of the praise already felt in her soul and spirit….the very essence of who she is. I am trying to picture in my mind her body language and facial expressions as she speaks such words of and to her heavenly Father. I picture her to be much like David in the Old Testament who had very lively moments of praise to God.

When we are passionate, excited, and intense about something or someone it shows on our faces. It is seen in the way we walk and talk. It affects our whole demeanor. I often wonder how the same people who are so animated and expressive at sporting events, get togethers, and special activities can be so passive and stoic in a worship service. I realize personality plays a lot into this, but even an introvert will laugh at a good joke, smile at the greeting of a dear friend, and reveal the joy of their heart by the expression on their face.

When you go to church, look around at others. What do their faces tell you? Is there a look of celebration over the goodness of God? Is the joy evident? Is there a hint of a smile? Most of the time? Some of the time? Any of the time? Or does it more resemble a funeral? I don’t say any of this to be harsh or judgmental. I actually say it with sadness and confusion. I really wonder why many worship services have been reduced to such somber and solemn assemblies. If our eyes are truly windows to our souls than our whole face (expressions and all) must be wide open doors!

Each day we should ask God to give us the outward expression that denotes a passionate, excited, and lively internal world that is consumed with Him. I am not talking about a fake, plastered on smile. I am talking about authentic joy spilling out of us in an evident, noticeable way. Take my word for it, people will not only notice it but they will comment on it as well. Why? Because it is so rare out in the world as well as in the house of God. May God help us to change!

Father, may You ignite such a passion in us today that there is a noticeable difference in our expression, words, and countenance. Amen.

Come, Now is the Time to Worship
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELdQ66LK5Qw&feature=related

Getting into God's Word and letting God's Word get into me one truth at a time.

That Which Releases

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 he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7,8 (New American Standard Bible)

We all have them! Questions that baffle us and answers that elude us. I called a friend last night and asked her something, hoping she would know what I was failing to see. She knows me well and knows the present path I walk…stumbles and all. I wanted to see if she knew what was hindering me from letting go of some things I was holding on to. What was the “hook” that kept me connected to something I really did want to be free from and all the emotions that come from remaining linked to it? While she did not have THAT answer, she did agree to pray about it with me and ask God to reveal what I needed to know.

That is exactly what Jesus is inviting us to do in today’s verse. We asked and the answer came to me this morning within the first few moments of being awake. God let me know something I was not doing that I needed to start doing in order to be released from the past. In essence He said, “You are not praising Me or thanking Me. Start doing both and you will experience the freedom you crave.” The simplicity of His answer was amazing yet profound. It was a basic I had missed and yet it was the very thing that was necessary.

When I look back I can see some things that I did which were good to do. I grieved and felt my emotions. I admitted what was going on inside me. I stated the truth of what God was doing in my life. I read books and sat under wise counsel. I opened closed fists and identified areas of resistance. But I failed to do all of that out of a heart filled with praise and thanksgiving. Hence, the “hook” stayed in place. So what does that praise and thanksgiving look like?

It starts with acknowledgement of who God is and what God is like. Praising Him for His attributes and character. The Psalms are filled with such praises. Joined to that are a multitude of things to be thankful for, such as: growth that is coming, His purposes that are being fulfilled, lessons being learned, gifts of friendship, ministry to others that will come, His comfort, His strength, His presence, His peace, and a growing awareness of my constant need of Him. It is what will bring release and I am thankful for God’s reminder to me.

Father, I asked and Your answer astounded me. May my praise and thanksgiving to You abound! Amen.

Our Measure of Praise

I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. Psalm 9:2 (New King James Version)

I was quite taken back yesterday at something the Lord brought to my attention. For the past three years God has been allowing me to take in the truth that He welcomes my honesty. He desires truth in the inward parts which means I am safe to confide to Him how I am really feeling and what I am really thinking. It has been a long time in coming but I have finally learned to cry on His shoulder as I express pain, disappointment, fear, and heartache. The ability to explore the depths of emotions with Him has been very freeing and healing. All along I have sited David as my example of one who could readily open his heart to God. Seeing this side of his prayer life served as a key to unlock the door of my own heart.

Once I was fully on the journey of truthfulness with God, He opened my eyes to something that astounded me. He drew my attention to David’s enthusiastic praise life! I counted up the verses in the Psalms that use the words cried and tears, and discovered there are a couple dozen. But I was unprepared to find that there are 175 verses that include the word praise. While David certainly brought honest hurting emotions to God, his outbursts of praise far outnumbered them! This truth hit home with me and convicted me greatly. God got the message across to me loud and clear.

He was letting me know my praise to Him should far outweigh and outnumber my times of pouring my heart out to Him. He was not saying to stop the one, but rather to increase the other! He reminded me that He inhabits the praises of His people. Yes, He is a God of comfort but He is also a God who delights in praise. While letting Him know the deepest parts of myself is necessary and refreshing, speaking praise to Him is energizing!

Now I can take these facts in and believe them to be true. But real change does not take place until I begin to implement them into my life. Yesterday was the day I put it all to the test. Throughout the day I expressed praise to Him for as many things as I could think of and I found that the more I spoke the more my spirit came alive in me! It redirected my focus on to God, it brought out a boldness, it increased my confidence in Him, it brought things into the right perspective, and it brought on a joy that was indescribable. I have no doubt that David’s praise ratio is meant for us today. May the praise flow from our mouths in abundance!

Father, Your ears have been open to my heartaches and I thank You for that. May I now fill those same ears with the sound of praise from a grateful heart! I praise You!!!!! Amen.

Reasons for Praise

I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD. Psalm 104:33,34 (King James Version)

David has made up his mind to sing, praise, and be glad in the Lord. His words and thoughts follow a decision he has already determined to do. Not just when things were going well and happiness abounded. As long as there was breath in him, he would exude worship to God. It was his trademark and mantra! He knew God well enough to know that He deserved and desired his praise. He knew the power of speaking that praise. Read through the Psalms and you will find that even in the midst of David pouring out his heart concerning loss, fear, danger, and turmoil you will find him resolving to praise God.

What a difference it would make if in the midst of any circumstance we ended our thoughts and prayers with “But I will still praise You!” Even in the midst of pain. Even in the midst of tears. Even in the midst of heartache. Even in the midst of loneliness. Even in the midst of loss. Even in the midst of whatever life includes. What would happen if we chose, like David, to praise God? Not just when we felt like it. Not just when everything was going our way. Not just when people give us what we want.

What I have found is that praise redirects my attention. It takes my focus off my circumstances and places it on to God. It is a distraction of great proportion! If at that point I allow my spirit to express the praise I will find myself verbalizing the many reasons for praising God. It may start out with a simple, “I praise You”, but will quickly become, “I praise You for Your faithfulness, Your goodness, Your loving kindness, Your power, Your creation, Your wisdom…..” The words will not only reach God’s ears, but they will reach my heart as well. The effect will be peace, confidence, and trust as I once again drink in the truth of God’s care, compassion, and control.

It is not a denial of facts nor is it just merely positive thinking. Praise is fitting for God and necessary for me. I cannot afford to reserve it for only the “perfect” days. If I will determine to allow my mind to meditate upon Him and permit my mouth to speak the praise, the feelings and emotions will follow. Each new day is a fresh opportunity to choose praise as a priority and practice. God has extended the invitation to each of us and now awaits our response. May His ears soon hear the sounds of praise we were created to express!

Father, You deserve heartfelt, passionate praise! May my mind, heart, will, and mouth overflow with praise to You. May my praise of You be genuine and gigantic! Amen.

The Power of Prayer and Praise

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. Acts 16:25 KJV

Paul and Silas’ prayers and praises followed the abuse they suffered at the hands of others and preceded God’s redemptive work in their situation. They were voiced in the darkness of prison cells and coupled with the physical pain they still felt from a beating. They had no control over what had just happened to them but they had major choices to make as to how they would respond to such treatment.

We are not given the details of their prayers but my imagination is awakened as I think about the possibilities. Could it be they prayed for the very ones who had just mistreated them? Possibly Jesus’ prayer to His Father as He suffered on the cross became their prayer with their feet in fetters, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” They may have asked that the spiritual blindness of their persecutors’ hearts be removed so they could hear, understand, and receive the gift of salvation. They may have also prayed for fellow believers to stay strong in the midst of their own persecution. That they would not grow weary in well doing and would not become discouraged and quit. They may have prayed for grace for themselves and the ability to love the very ones who had hurt them. I do not believe vengeance or hatred found a place in their hearts or their prayers.

Songs of praise! They did not have the hymns or praise music that is so readily available to us today. Maybe they buried themselves in the many Psalms that David had written. Surely the words reflected the many attributes of God. They would have been the equivalent of our present day How Great Thou Art, I Need Thee Every Hour, Awesome God, Draw Me Close to You, and You’re Still God. Their prayers and songs of praise had an audience with God as well as the other prisoners. Oh that we would see the same in our own situations.

Freedom in the midst of difficulties is ours to embrace when we follow the example of these two men. Choosing to pray for all involved and voice our praises to God is the only thing that keeps us afloat in the storms of life. I am miserable when I give in to the enemy’s suggestions of condemnation, self pity, and bitterness. I would much rather don the garments of praise when faced with a spirit of heaviness then clothe myself with that which would defeat me spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. Does it mean I won’t feel the sting of life in all of this? Absolutely not! It simply means I will become receptive to the healing balm of a gentle Savior.

Father, nothing compares to the power of prayer and praise in the midst of pain, heartache, and loss. Continue to do your redemptive work in me as I lift my voice, hands, and face to You. Amen.

Claiming or Proclaiming the Promise

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5 (NKJV)

For the believer, both aspects of this verse are theirs to experience in life. Weeping is a reality for each one of us and joy is the promise we know will come to pass. If I had the opportunity to visit with any one of you, I know that you would be able to share with me many nights of weeping that you have faced. Some of you may be experiencing them even as you read this devotional. If so, I give to you the promise of coming joy! Some of you are experiencing that joy right now and you are attesting to the truth of that promise. Which ever the case may be, David has an exceptional list in Psalm 30 that can be our proclamation of praise! We can say it with anticipation of the coming joy or with gratitude for the present reality of that joy. Will you join me as I express to God the truth of what He HAS done or the truth of what He WILL do? For we are either seeing what’s coming or experiencing it right now! Either way we glory in Him. With that in mind, let’s review the list.

I will extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up! You healed me! You brought my soul up out of the grave! You have kept me alive! You have made my mountain to stand strong! You have turned my mourning into dancing! You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness! Therefore, I will give You thanks forever! Oh, how I would love to hear the stories behind those proclamations!

And for those of you who are still in your night of weeping, your list would be spoken in the future tense. I will extol You, O LORD, for You will lift me up! You will heal me! You will bring my soul up out of the grave! You will keep me alive! You will make my mountain to stand strong! You will turn my mourning into dancing! You will put off my sackcloth and clothe me with gladness! Therefore, even in the midst of my tears, I will give You thanks forever! How precious that some of you will express those thoughts with broken hearts and tear-filled eyes. May your joy be soon forthcoming!

Like you, I have known the weeping and the joy! In the midst of both He is worthy to be praised and I trust Him still.

Father, You have walked with me through sorrow and danced with me in gladness. I desire no other Partner but You! Amen.

Incomparable Promises

For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NKJV)

I was recently struck by the last phrase in the song “Shout to the Lord.” It states, “Nothing compares to the promise I have in You.” As the song came to a close my mind remained focused on that thought. I wanted the words to be more than sentimental thoughts to me and God was gracious to begin helping me see the truth of such a claim. He brought to my mind promises of His that really are comparable to nothing! My mind became filled with a question and answer time.

He has promised to never leave me or forsake me. What can compare to that?! He has promised me eternal life in Heaven. What can compare to that?! He has promised to make all things work together for good. What can compare to that?! He has promised to supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. What can compare to that?! He has promised to seal and fill me with His Spirit. What can compare to that?! He has promised to keep His eye and His hand on me. What can compare to that?! He has promised to guide my steps and direct my path. What can compare to that?! He has promised to finish the work He started in me. What can compare to that?! He has promised to forgive my sin and hide it behind His back. What can compare to that?! He has promised to be my Shepherd, Healer, Redeemer, and Savior. What can compare to that?! He has promised to see me through every difficulty and storm. What can compare to that?! He has promised to make all things new. What can compare to that?! He keeps all His promises. What can compare to that?!

This is not a complete list by any stretch of the imagination but it refreshes my spirit and causes me to walk with joy and confidence. No wonder the song writer so emphatically said, “Shout to the Lord, all the earth let us sing. Power and majesty, praise to the King. Mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of Your name. I sing for joy at the work of Your hands. Forever I’ll love You, Forever I’ll stand. Nothing compares to the promise I have in You!”

Father, this song has moved me in a profound way but Your promises have caused me to literally tremble with awe and worship. May I never get over the wonder of You or Your promises. I shout to You, praise You, love You, and believe You! Amen.

The Power of Praise

I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1 NASB, KJV

David’s passion was God and it spilled out of him through praise. Of the 150 chapters in the book of Psalm, 64 give reference to it. 133 verses mention it. David knew the power of praise! He sang it, spoke it, wrote it, and practiced it. Plus, he encouraged others to do the same. He had learned to praise God in good times as well as bad. He expressed it when his heart was full of joy or when he felt over whelmed with anxiety. He praised God for who He was as well as for all He had done. It was his daily experience and expression.

The word ‘praise’ is rich with meaning! There are eight different Greek words that are used for praise. Their meanings broaden my view of the subject. Praise means to worship, celebrate, laud, congratulate, and commend. It is acclaiming and ascribing honor. It entails thankfulness, blessing, and adoration. No wonder God inhabits the praises of His people! How His ears must perk up every time we verbalize it!

For the past year or so I have been learning the importance of guarding my thoughts and the power of spoken words. Yesterday, God decided to help me see the reward of doing both! Early on in the day, He nudged me to praise Him whenever the enemy whispered lies or discouraging thoughts to me. I discovered the benefit of this four word phrase: I praise You, God! The minute a wrong thought came my way I voiced the phrase. Before the thought was even complete I spoke the praise. I was amazed at the result.

I learned a praise advantage I was not aware existed. Praise not only delights and pleases God, it has a dulling and inhibiting affect on wrong moods, thoughts, and attitudes. It is actually a detriment to the attacks of the enemy, other people’s words, and my own feelings. Each time I spoke the words of praise I interrupted the flow of negative, damaging thoughts. It was like pouring water on a flame. What a powerful extinguisher! No wonder David found it necessary to do all the time and on a continual basis. May I follow his example and do the same!

Father, I have found praise to be my shield during attacks as well as my flag to wave in triumph! Help me to cultivate and communicate a heart and voice of praise! Amen.

Giving What Is Due

There is none like You, O LORD; You are great, and great is Your name in might. Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? Indeed it is Your due! For among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You. Jeremiah 10:6,7

Sometimes….many times, we need to just stop everything and proclaim the truth about our God. He is incomparable to anything or anyone in this world. His greatness reaches far above my ability to grasp with my mind. He is great in His might, His forgiveness, His love, His watchfulness, His presence, His knowledge, His very being! He deserves far more than we give Him and He gives us far more than we deserve.

It is so easy to become enamored with His creation and that’s okay if it ultimately leads me to worship and praise Him! He has given us so much in this world to enjoy and He delights in our enjoyment of it. Like a parent who can’t wait for their child to see the surprise they have in store for him, God waits for the moment our eyes are open to one of His gifts.

Last night I was out walking past a beautiful wooded area near our home. I love to go just before dusk so I am sure to see numerous deer. I was not disappointed as I saw 7 bucks and 1 doe! They were so strong and graceful. Exquisite pictures of God’s creation and His character. But God waited for me to notice the night sky He had prepared. Red, wispy clouds against a blue sky. Gorgeous! He knew the minute my eyes saw it and He heard me take in my breath. It was a moment of appreciating His hand once again.

There are times I am so taken by His greatness and so appalled by my own lack of appreciation for Him. Tears fell as I asked Him to give me a heart of gratitude for all He has done and continues to do in my life. I want to be grateful for the circumstances of my life and the growth that will result from them. I want to acknowledge the many ways He touches my life. I want to see the precious people in my life as God sent.

It occurred to me last night that people are the only ones created in God’s image. And yet of all creation we are the ones who can break the heart of God. No other creature turns away from Him to worship something or someone else. May He give us a heart to follow Him, love Him, serve Him, praise Him, and bring delight to Him.

Father, give me a heart for You. My praise is Your due! Amen.