That Which Evokes Praise

And Mary said: “ My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. Luke 1:46-49 (New King James Version)

These were the first words out of Mary’s mouth when she learned she was to give birth to the Son of God….Jesus. Her spirit and her mouth were exploding with praise and adoration for God which came out of the realization that He had intersected her world in a powerful way.

As a believer, I know that Mary’s words can be my words as well, for truly on a daily basis, God regards my lowly state and He does great things for me. Praise is forthcoming when I identify His loving acts on my behalf. Thanksgiving is expressed as I acknowledge the ways He has patiently worked to develop in me the qualities that are imperative if I am to bear the image of His Son. Rejoicing is my response when I review the ways He has intersected my world for His honor and glory.

Nothing thrills me more than to finally “get” a concept in such a way as to bring about a needed change in my life. That thrill drives me to worship because I know my Creator God is at work in me. Recently, the concept I have finally understood is that I can ask for God’s help. To some, that would seem more simple than profound, but to me it is huge! It comes after years of thinking I must muster up change on my own, whether in word, deed, or thought. In the area of thoughts, I walked in more defeat than victory. My problem many times was that I WANTED to dwell on the negative aspects of life. I was good at harboring feelings of hurt, unforgiveness, and self condemnation….until I learned I could ask God to help me WANT to think on the right things. You see, once I am in the mode of wanting to do something, I will do it. I just had to learn that God is more than willing (delighted even) to give me the “want to”. He knows that outside of His help I am helpless to help myself. Therefore, when I see victory over previous areas of defeat, I have no trouble knowing Who gets the credit. This gives me hope for every area of my life. It allows me to see that nothing, absolutely nothing, is out of the realm of God’s redemption and restoration.

What a joy to start each day with the fresh awareness that God holds rule and reign over my life, and is always ready and willing to come to my aid.

Father, I use to not know how to ask for Your help, but that is no longer the case. I freely acknowledge that with me it is impossible but in Christ I can do all things! Amen.

Who Am I? - Point of Grace
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDZwfMBerxo

He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food. Job 36:16