"Thank You, Father, that You so loved the world that You gave your one and only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ...that when the time had fully come, He wrapped Himself in human form, being born as a helpless baby in a poor family. Thank You that He walked here on earth radiating the brightness of Your glory and flawlessly expressing Your nature...and so, through Him, people saw You in action, involved with them, available to meet their needs. Thank You that He focused Your almighty power into the lives of common people with deep needs, just like me...that He preached the gospel on the poor, proclaimed freedom to prisoners of sin and recovery of sight to the blind, and set free the oppressed victims of sin and Satan-the downtrodden, the lost, the hurting, the broken. Thank You for the way He rebuked the arrogant and looked with favor on the humble-minded, opening wide the door of His Kingdom to those who were destitute and helpless in spirit. I delight in Your tender mercies, O my God, by which the Sunrise from on high has come to us!....Fairest Lord Jesus! You alone are my heart's desire...my chief delight...my soul's glory, joy, and crown. Every advantage life can offer is like rubbish, compared with the overwhelming gain of knowing You. You are worthy, Lord-worthy to be thanked and praised and worshipped and adored."
But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son,
born of a woman, born under the Law. Galatians 4:4
Myers writes:
"Why do I time and again, get so busy and absorbed with the pressures of daily life that I forget all about praise? And why do I at times feel reluctant to praise in the midst of everyday trials: when I hear news that makes me anxious about someone I love, or when I face a major disappointment, or when I'm angry or under a lot of pressure? Could it be that one of Satan's major strategies is to divert us from praise?"
There are several great journaling points in that paragraph, so grab your notebook.
Yesterday, on my praise walk I was flying high! The IPod was plugged into my ear and the weather was wonderful. We've had lots of turmoil the past five years related to the property which surrounds Shiloh, as well as our private road I was walking on. In the midst of my praise party, a large black car, being driven by one of the parties involved in the land dispute came driving towards our road. My praise and joy went plummeting like the ball coming down on a carnival bell ringer. Standing frozen I waiting for him to roll down his window and speak but he did not. I was shocked...then I recognized the distraction which Myers speaks of above. Wanting my husband to share in the moment I tried to call, but he did not answer. God gently reminded me this was my time with Him and to share my thoughts with him! Cranking those praise songs back up I chose to get back on track and continue in what I had cone to do...praise the Lord!
While the praise song that just came to mind may be a bit "old school", so are our beloved hymns. Give Jesus 4 minutes of your morning and sing along to You are my All in All. At the 2:57 minute mark, I thought, OK, time for this to end. (I have friends coming and a morning of baking and cleaning ahead.) Then I became so convicted. FOUR minutes! Get real and give that time to Jesus!
Thank You for coming up with a plan.
Thank You for taking me by the hand.
Thank You for making each day new.
Thank You for all the precious things You do!
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