August 3, 2005
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1 In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust…4 But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.(Psalm 781: 1a, 4)
Talk about seeing through a glass darkly!!! As I’ve mentioned to some of you, I am somewhat limited in my ability to post right now, and it’s driving me nuts! I so enjoy “talking ” with you all, and reading what you have to offer. The system I am currently on(ie., @ this very moment) has the unpleasant habit of “locking up” in the middle of attempting to type, or post, so this should be short.
A former roommate of mine came to mind recently. One day, when we were in college, I heard him YELL (from another room)….”PRAISE GOD!!” I walked into the room where he was to see what form of divine ecstasy he was in, or to learn what good news he had received. I was surprised to see him holding his head from one of those incredibly painful encounters most of us have had with the corner of a kitchen cabinet. He explained that he had begun to practice praising God deliberately in “untoward” situations. He had initiated this habit partly to supplant the tendency to curse.
That little incident years ago continues to be part of a core change in my life, which God is continuing to effect today. I purposefully remind myself to praise God when things appear to be going badly,when I get what appears to be “bad news”; when I have failed to live up to the standard to which I aspire. …I remember that God is always worthy of praise, set my focus on Him, and begin to worship.The obvious example of this (in the Bible ) is Job. After he had lost wealth, and all His children had been killed, the following is recorded:
Then Job stood up, tore his robe and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped, 1 saying:
Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will leave this life.
The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away.
Praise the name of the Lord.
Throughout all this Job did not sin or blame God for anything.(Job 1:20-22)
HERE was a man who PRACTICED what he believed: that God was/is good, no matter what this corrupt world offered . May we be as steeped in the awareness of God.
(I know; I said I’d be brief…, I’ll quote Victor Hugo, who once apologized for the length of a missive in this way: “Please forgive the length of this letter, as I do not have time to be brief.”)
Praising God…Jim
Comments (4)
You are Jim. So am I. God Rocks.
Very timely words you wrote~ As my husband and I left for a meeting this evening we were recounting to each other the challenges we face right now, money challenges, bad news from Iraq, people we know hurting physically, and then we remembered, in the book of James it is written, “Consider all joy my brethren…” I believe faith is the foundation that frees us to be joyful. The Lord Himself is in the midst, at all times, Praise Him~ is it in Hosea that it is written, even if the fields do not yield, or the cattle do not bear, I will praise You. And didn’t Meshach, Shadarach and Abbidego tell those who were throwing them into a firey furnace, “Our God will deliver us, but even if He does not, will will still serve Him.”?
Hafa Adai:
Praise God!!!!
Praise him in the morning and until the sun goes down.
Praise Him!!!
Just browsing through sites…
Blessings……….Anita
I like that! I will try to remember to “Praise God” more on bad days! (and remind others, too!) Have a great day!