Your Daily Crossroad
06
Apr '21
Practice Praise
06
Apr '21
Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul. While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. (Psalm 146:1-2)
As a teenager in high school I had a rather atypical variety of interests. I was a varsity field hockey athlete (you don’t hear that every day), a lifelong dancer and member of the school dance team, and a budding thespian, acting in school plays and performing with a student improv group.
While my specific activities were pretty different, one thing was consistently on my schedule: PRACTICE! All of those activities required me to practice.
Becoming life-long, daily praisers of God also requires practice.
It takes little effort to see that human nature moves us more easily towards criticism and complaint than praise, so we have to replace that natural inclination and train our hearts and minds to praise like an athlete trains his arms and legs to have muscle memory to rely on come game time.
Practice is not often thought of as fun or enjoyable but it is necessary ad beneficial. If we set our minds and hearts to be committed to practicing praise, we are well on our way.
Are you ready to commit to practicing praise?
Write it down or tell someone in your life that you are practicing to be a lifelong, daily giver of God’s praise.
Practice, Practice, Practice!! Commit to practicing praise. I pray you are encouraged to be a daily praiser of God!
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
01
Apr '21
Sing Praises
01
Apr '21
Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. (Psalm 63:3-4)
We must teach our hearts to sing praises to God at all times, no matter what we’re walking through.
A tall order in these post 2020 days, but we have an even bigger God. As we prepare to improve our level of praise, let’s first assess where we are.
When I read this devotion I was challenged to truly answer this one question. How much time to do you spend praising God each day? It’s never to late to start praising God today. Praise Him through the storm.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
30
Mar '21
Even Through Suffering
30
Mar '21
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
In this passage, the apostle Paul is offering exuberant praise to God. Despite Paul’s pain, God still delivered him.
This in turn allowed Paul the ability to come alongside others who were also in pain and lead them to Christ.
Since God is the author and origin of mercy and compassion, His tenderness and grace sustain us…even through suffering.
As a father has compassion on his children, so does God lovingly care for you personally.
No matter what painful trial you may be enduring, know that His sweet comfort is permanent and endless. After all, one of His very names is Comforter!
No other person on the planet will be able to console you like your Father.
We never have to tip-toe our way into His presence. As you let the fire of His glory and love soothe your wounded soul, He will transform you into a gateway of His kingdom.
With the power of the Holy Spirit ignited within, you will become a comforting light in the darkness for others, leading them out of their pits of despair.
Give Him praise today from a thankful heart, for He is faithful!
This devotion blessed me so much. “We never have to tip toe our way into His presence”, amen, what assurance. Despite what your facing, offer exuberant praise to God today. We can learn so much from our time of pain and suffering, if we allow The Holy Spirit to ignite within. I pray you are uplifted and encouraged by this devotion today.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
25
Mar '21
Rejoice in The Lord!
25
Mar '21
Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. (Philippians 4:4)
What did Paul and Silas do? They praised God.
What was Paul doing in prison? Rejoicing always.
First, they were praising God for the who, not the what. They were bloody and bound up in prison. If you had asked them, “What are you praising God for?” I don’t think there was any “what” that they could point to. Nothing good was happening, but their God was still good. They weren’t praising God for the what. They were praising Him for the who. You can do that too.
Your circumstances may be bad, but your God is still good. He is near, His promises are still true, His love still unconditional, His grace still amazing, His timing still perfect. You may not like the what of what’s going on, but you can still praise God for the who of who He is.
Second, they were praising God before the provision. So often we hold off on praising God until He provides what we want. Think about that. Doesn’t it sound like an entitled little snot-nosed kid? I won’t be grateful until I get exactly what I want. We are better than that and, more important, God deserves better. Paul and Silas praised God before He answered their prayers or changed their circumstances. That’s the kind of person I want to be.
Third, they were praising God and then He showed up. Paul and Silas were worshiping God in the middle of the night and—boom!—God showed up.
And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. (Acts 16:26)
They did not praise God because He showed up; God showed up because they praised Him.
When we praise Him, He will show up. When He shows up, it will change our thinking. If we change our thoughts, we change our life.
When I read this devotion it has stuck with me and I had to share it with you. Praise Him through the storm, not for what your going through but for who He is and He will show up every time.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!