365 Days of Praise
In Favor of the Saints
Do you ever wonder what the future holds? If so, the book of Daniel answers your question. There will be a war and God’s saints will be overpowered UNTIL the One who is more powerful than any other, the Highest One, steps in. I wonder if you feel as I do – overwhelmed with gratefulness to be on God’s side, to be designated as His saint? “I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.” Daniel 7:21-22
Heavenly Father, to be referred to as “Your saint” and to know that You, the Ancient of Days, are going to judge in favor of us, Your saints, is overwhelming. Thank You, merciful Ancient of Days.
Unclean Lips and Lives
I don’t think there’s any way we can get our minds around what the holiness of the LORD is like. I don’t think we have the slightest idea of the magnitude of heaven’s glory. Isaiah attempted to describe heaven. (Isaiah 6:1-4a) “In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, …. And one called out to another and said ‘HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.’ And the foundations of the thresholds trembled…” What was Isaiah’s response? “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips – And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.” Isaiah 6:5. Isaiah’s response to seeing the LORD was a profound awareness that he was unclean. Were it NOT for JESUS bearing our sins on the cross, it would not be possible for us to live in the HOLY, HOLY, HOLY LORD’S presence; which is why we praise HIM today and every day.
We praise You, HOLY, HOLY, HOLY Lord!
A New Normal
The ushering in of Covid-19 in January 2020 ushered in what is called by many “a new normal.” What is meant by “new normal”? People not greeting one another with a handshake or hug. Social distancing. Wearing face masks. Gloved hands. Not gathering to worship. There is speculation about if and when we will return to life the way it was pre-Covid-19. We are told to trust the medical experts and follow their advice. People are trying to adapt, to trust. We don’t know what the future holds, but as the saying goes, we know who holds the future – a faithful creator. First Peter 4:19 encourages believers, “Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a FAITHFUL CREATOR in doing what is right.” Will there be a day when the mandate is to denounce the One we worship? Yes. That day is already here in many countries. Christian persecution has always existed. When that day comes, what are we to do? We are to entrust our souls to our Faithful Creator even as we entrust our souls to Him today.
FAITHFUL CREATOR, we praise You that we can trust You and entrust our souls to You.
Unwrap It!
Gifts! Who doesn’t like to receive a gift? Presents wrapped with brightly colored paper and bows. A gift tag with OUR name on it. And most importantly, someone holding the gift and offering, “Take it! I bought it for you!” Beaming, our Lord God waits for us to take the gift described in Romans 6:23. That in spite of our sin, He offers the “free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Our Heavenly Father gives us a gift that cost His Son’s life. Forgiveness is the first thing we see in the gift. Then the gifts of His Holy Spirit, heaven, friendship, eternity, and so much more! With each day, we realize there’s more of God’s love to unwrap. The Gift Giver smiles as our eyes light up in joyful praise.
Lord God, thank You for GIVING us the GIFT of eternal life in Christ Jesus and for all that is encompassed in the gift of His life! We praise You.
Where Can I Go from God
I was in high school when Psalm 139:7-10 first caught my attention. The words were so beautiful that I picked up my guitar and wrote music to accompany them. “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me.” What comfort it is to know that wherever we go, God’s Spirit will be there and His hand will lead us. Which of the verses is your favorite? Which provides you the most comfort? What does it mean to you that God is everywhere and His hand will lead you?
Lord God, we praise You that You are EVERYWHERE, and never apart from Your presence. Thank You.
Good News for People with a Bad Taste In Their Mouth
Have you ever had a “bad taste in your mouth” after experiencing something unpleasant? Many today would say, “yes.” Many are going through life with a “bad taste” in their mouth. They’re “fed up” with the news. They can’t “stomach” another …..whatever. That’s where followers of Christ come in. Second Timothy 2:21 describes believers as vessels. As Christ’s vessel, we have the opportunity to “serve” the Lord’s love and Word to those who are spiritually hungry. Psalm 34:8 says, “O taste and see that the Lord is GOOD; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” Many are starving for some good in their lives. Will you serve Christ’s goodness, mercy, and love to them? If you’re not sure how, Discovering His Passion will show you how Christ engaged people in spiritual conversations and how you can, too. Believe – Know Jesus as Savior is a link you can share in an email or text. God is GOOD. Let’s share the good news of His GOODNESS with others.
LORD, You are GOOD! Help us be ready vessels to share Your WORD and LOVE with others.
He Sees Your Tears & Just So You’ll Know…
One of the many things that amaze me in the Bible is that God SEES and addresses individuals. I suppose because God is enthroned in heaven, I sometimes forget that His eye is also on you and me. Not only is His eye on us, He sees us when we’re crying. He hears our prayers, as Isaiah 38:5 reminds us. “…‘Thus says the Lord, the God of your father David, “I have heard your prayer, I have SEEN YOUR TEARS;” Are you crying? Are you sad? Are you grieved beyond the point of crying? God SEES YOUR TEARS. He hears your prayers. Don’t stop. Don’t give up. God is on your side. He sees what is going on. Trust Him. Keep your eye on Him. Keep praying. Follow His prompts. Receive His tender words that He sees you. He’s got this.
Heavenly Father, You who are enthroned on high but are also tender and compassionate toward us. You SEE OUR TEARS. You hear our prayers. Thank You. Help us mindfully watch and listen so we follow Your promptings.
How Can We Not…
On February 28, 2002, God healed my mother. Bernice Ruth Taylor went to be with the Lord. No longer did she suffer the physical ailments that had ravaged her body. She was ready to be with Jesus. She took off her oxygen mask, smiled at us, and after we verbalized our love for one another, she closed her eyes. However, none of us were prepared for the next moment. Mama’s eyes flew open and she startled us with, “boo!” How long she’d planned that dramatic and joyous moment, I’ll never know; or if it was a spur of the moment idea. Regardless, she made her point. She wasn’t scared. She was, in fact, excited. Her attitude reflected Jeremiah 17:14 which says, “Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; Save me and I will be saved, for You are my praise.” My mother knew Jesus was her HEALER and that she was on her way to Him. With that, she closed her eyes a final time on earth and opened them in heaven…fully healed. How can we not praise Him? Jesus is our hope. He is our healer. On this we need to focus in these difficult days.
Lord God, You are our HEALER and we praise You!
When You Cry Out, He’ll Hear
Do you have children or have you ever babysat? Think for a moment to a time when a child cried for you. Maybe they were in their crib. Or, perhaps you heard a thud; then the cry of a toddler who had fallen. What happened at the moment they cried out? Their voice “came into your ears.” I love the way that just as a child’s cry “comes into our ears,” the psalmist, David, worded that our cries “come into God’s ears.” Second Samuel 22:7, “In my distress, I called upon the Lord. Yes, I cried to my God and from His temple, He heard my voice, and my cry for help came into His ears.” Yes, just as we can hear a child’s cry even if we’re in another part of the house, so God hears our cry from His temple. Our cries to God go into His ears. Our Heavenly Father is a HEARING GOD, not a deaf God. What will you cry out to Him about today?
Hearing Father, thank You for listening to our cries. Help us pay attention and hear Your voice, also.
Hard Work, No Joy
Have you ever worked hard for what you thought was Christ, but you experienced little joy? As a matter of fact, you felt agitated as you worked? If and when that happens, it helps to step back and consider if what we’re doing is a mission Christ assigned us and we’re relying on His wisdom and power, or if it’s an activity we decided was a good idea and we’re pushing through in our own strength. Why is this important? Colossians 1:18 explains that Christ is “head of the body, the church…so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” In other words, if it is not Christ’s idea, then it’s not a good idea and will not be empowered by Him. Why? As a body is lifeless without its head, so we, the church, are lifeless apart from Christ. We may do what we consider to be important work, but if it is done apart from Christ’s calling and Spirit, it is merely human effort. Therefore, it is important for us to continually seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) so that both our individual and corporate actions flow from Christ’s mind and are done in His power. When we do the work Christ assigns us it may be challenging and difficult, but the result will be Christ’s joy. Matthew 25:23
Lord Jesus, we praise You, HEAD OF THE CHURCH and life of the body of believers. May our words and actions be an extension of Your heart, strength, and power.