365 Days of Praise

“What’s a spiritual happy dance?” someone asked me after I mentioned having done one. I couldn’t help but smile. Then I realized no one except my husband had seen me do a spiritual happy dance. Why? Because it’s before God and comes from a heart flowing with joy.

Does our Heavenly Father care if we are joyful? Yes. Jesus said in John 16:24, “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.”

This does not mean we give Jesus our worldly wish list. Rather, it means we align ourselves to Jesus, who is filled with joy and is the giver of joy; as John 15:11 explains. “These things I have spoken you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”

These verses may provide a clue as to why believers sometimes may not have joy. We may be able to quote Jesus, but are we living Him? Is His joy in us? In other words, if Jesus was on earth today, would His joy be tied to the worldly, temporal things that affect our countenance? Probably not.

How could Jesus’ joy not be tied to things of the earth? Jesus came from heaven where true joy reigns. He knew earth’s best and finest was temporal and passing away. Joy comes when our minds and lives are Spirit-driven, not earthly driven.

When was the last time you did a spiritual happy dance?

“You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy,” Psalm 16:11.

Lord, we praise You, the JOY GIVER. Thank You that in Your presence there is fullness of joy.

There are countless wonderful and praise-worthy attributes of Jesus. Download this FREE PRINTABLE to explore the attributes of Jesus listed in the book of John. 

Do you ever read a verse and something about it “wows” you? That’s how I feel about Jeremiah 23:6. “In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely; and this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The Lord our righteousness.’”

Why am I wowed by this verse?

It’s not only that Judah will be saved, and the Israelites will one day live in peace. Although thinking about Israel living in peace is definitely a “wow.”

It’s not just that the Lord is righteous.

What wows me is the word “our.” It sends me to my knees – literally. It’s the reason I’m on my knees every morning, bowing before the Lord.

I’m “wowed” because I’m included in the “our.” In other words, I’m not on the outside looking in, longing to be in right standing before God. Rather, I’m on the inside looking at His face…praising Him.

I’m on my knees because I know I’m a sinner, but that no longer defines my relationship with my Creator. Christ Jesus defines my relationship with the Heavenly Father. Because I am in Christ, I am saved and so are all believers. Christ is in us…in all who call on Jesus for salvation. The LORD is our righteousness – Jehovah-Tsidkenu.

JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU, the LORD our Righteousness, all honor and praise and glory belong to You. Thank You for imparting Your righteousness to us when we repent and call on You for salvation.

Would you like to deepen your relationship with God? Discover the many resources on our website that can help you grow in your walk with the Lord. We offer several free resources, including podcasts, video teachings, listening guides, and more!

Peace. Everyone’s looking for it. Where? Drugs. Vacation. Sex. Entertainment. In the meantime, and while seeking peace, life goes on. Worriers worry. Whiners whine. Complainers complain. Wheat beaters beat wheat. And that’s where we find Gideon. He is beating wheat in a winepress in order to hide it from the Midianties.

Judges 6 is the incredible account of when the Lord came to Gideon and told him to tear down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah in order to restore worship of the Lord. He then commissioned Gideon to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Midianites.

Judges 6:24 records Gideon’s response to the Lord. “Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and named it The LORD is Peace.”

Jehovah-Shalom, the LORD of Peace, came to a nation threatened by enemies and to people who worshipped Baal.

Jehovah-Shalom not only came to Gideon, but His Spirit of peace and power came upon Gideon.

Isn’t that what we need? God’s peace and power?

What can we learn from Jehovah-Shalom and Gideon about personal and national peace?

• Worship the Lord of Peace, Jehovah-Shalom.
• Be filled with the Lord’s Spirit of peace and power.
• Fight valiantly for righteousness.

JEHOVAH SHALOM, LORD OF PEACE, thank You that by Your Spirit we can experience peace and power as we stand for righteousness as Gideon did.

Would you like to experience more grace and peace? Check out Debbie’s Bible study, “Experiencing Grace and Peace in Cultural Chaos” by clicking HERE. You can also access the free accompanying videos and podcasts by clicking HERE.

Today, we remember with deep gratitude those who gave their lives in service to our country, as well as their families.

Standing in the checkout line, I noticed the child from the corner of my eye. You couldn’t help but notice since he was wailing at the top of his lungs, “I want it!” His bedraggled mother tried her best to wrestle the package of M&Ms from his hands while at the same time apologize to the cashier.

Tommy wanted the M & M’s, but his mother knew that her child was not “lacking” for food. Although I don’t like to admit it, there are times I can be like Tommy when things aren’t going my way. But there is another to whom we can look who points us to the key to being calm and trusting rather than demanding and complaining.

David, the shepherd boy who became king, is an example to us. In Psalm 23:1 he stated, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Say those words with me. “I shall not want.”

David grasped what I sometimes forget. There’s a difference between what I “want” and what I “lack.” Psalm 23:1 is best interpreted, “The Lord is my shepherd (Jehovah-Ra-Ah), I lack for nothing.”

In other words, David was aware that the Lord was watching over him, leading, and protecting him. He was mindful of his Shepherd’s presence and provision.

If there are times you focus more on what you want rather than on God’s present provision and you desire to develop a more grateful attitude, consider daily journaling that for which you are grateful. Begin being more like David and less like Tommy.

JEHOVAH-RA-AH, thank You for being our Shepherd. Help us be increasingly mindful that in You we lack for nothing.

Join us beginning July 10th for a new study on the book of Jude! Through the study, you’ll learn about the importance of guarding your faith and being mindful of what you are being taught. For more information and to register, click HERE. 

Are you sick in spirit, soul, or body? If so, consider how Jehovah-Rapha worked in Moses’ life.

Israel had been three days in the wilderness after escaping Egyptian slavery when they arrived at the undrinkable waters of Marah. What did Moses do? He cried out to Jehovah-Rapha, which means healer. Moses then did what the Lord told him to do and the water became sweet.

Exodus 15:26 records God’s words. “‘If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.’”

This brings us to a question. Have we cried out to Jehovah-Rapha and done what He has shown us? His message was clear. “If you do” means our actions have a consequence.

“If you give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord our God” emphasizes the importance of paying attention to what God tells us.

“And do what is right.” Moses had to do what God told him.

“In His sight” means God watches to see if we obey Him.

“And give ear to His commandments…” Are we listening to Jehovah-Rapha?

God is our healer. Are we crying out to Him? Are we doing what He tells us?

JEHOVAH-RAPHA, Lord our Healer, we praise You for the complete healing You’ll give us in heaven. In the meantime, help us increasingly listen and obey you.

In addition to today’s key verse, John 5 also depicts Jesus’ healing power and the importance of obedience. Jesus healed a man who had been disabled for 38 years and commanded him to stop sinning, warning that something worse may happen to the man if he continued. To watch all of Debbie’s teaching on John 5, click HERE or listen to it HERE.

Have you ever felt desperate and cried out to God to help to do what He’s asked of you? No doubt, such was the case for Abraham when God asked him to sacrifice his son, Isaac.

Although Abraham didn’t understand why God would ask him to do something so unthinkable, he had confidence in God’s goodness and told his servants, “We, not I, will return.

Abraham took the steps of obedience to which God called him one faith step at a time, not knowing how God would provide.

In the final moment, as Abraham raised the knife to sacrifice Issac, God stopped him. He provided a ram in the place of Isaac. Genesis 22:14 records, “Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the LORD it will be provided.’” (“Jehovah-Jireh” is the KJV’s translation of YHWH-Yireh which means “The LORD Will Provide.”)

In the act of Abraham being called to sacrifice his only begotten son we get a glimpse of what it was like for God to sacrifice His only begotten Son.

Jesus, like Issac, was laid on the wood, stretched out, but instead of being freed, died in our place. Jehovah-Jireh, God will Provide, provided Jesus as a substitute for us.

What will you do today…and every day to show your gratitude to the Father and to Jesus?

JEHOVAH-JIREH, You saw our need and provided Your only begotten Son to die for our sins. Jesus, thank You for willingly laying down Your life for us. We’re overwhelmed with gratitude and pray we daily reflect it by our lives.

Abraham demonstrated his love for and trust in God through his act of obedience. Our actions reveal whether we truly love, trust, and respect Jesus. To learn more, read this related blog post by Debbie. 

Do you ever feel like things in life aren’t fair?

Have you wondered why some people get away with things with no apparent consequences?

Often, those questions are warranted. As thinking people, we can’t help but wonder about fairness. But when we question why certain people get away with doing wrong, we must quickly remember that in the end, no one gets away with anything. God sees everything.

Yes, God sees everything including what is in our heart. He knows our thoughts and even intentions and motives.

Most importantly, God is just, as Psalm 89:14 states, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne…”

If you’ve been upset and concerned because life isn’t fair, because wrong too often prevails over what is right, because our world’s justice system doesn’t always rule fairly, remember that God is just.

Also, remember that there is a day when every person will stand before the judgement seat of God. Hebrews 9:27

God weighs hearts and motives. He forgives repentant sinners. He renders judgment on unrepentant ones.

Set aside any vengeance you have toward another person knowing God will rule justly because that is His nature – just.

Lord, thank You that we can trust You for You are JUST.

TIP:  Write God’s attribute that I highlight in every 365 Days of Praise devotional in Prayers of My Heart. Writing it on paper writes it on your brain. When you’re troubled, flip through the pages of your journal and thank God for who He is as you reflect on His nature. It will build your confidence, decrease your stress, and help you live a more joy-filled life. Click HERE  to order.

Where did God come from? Who created Him? What’s His origin? Who is the mastermind behind Him?

Have you ever asked that question or has someone asked you? It’s a question most people ask at one time or another.

Here’s the answer. In Exodus 6:3, God told Moses, “I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob by the name of God Almighty, but by my name, LORD, (JEHOVAH) I did not make Myself known to them.”

The answer to the question about where God came from is to understand that God is self-existent.

God told Moses that His name is Jehovah, which in the Hebrew language means self-existent One or “the existing One.”

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.”

What does that mean?

Scholar Charles Ryrie explains, “It is a name of the relationship between the true God and His people and when used, emphasizes God’s holiness, hatred of sin, and love of sinners.” ¹

In other words, God didn’t “come from.” He IS.

God is a self-existing God who is holy, hates sin, and loves us. We won’t fully comprehend God until we get to heaven and probably won’t even then. In the meantime, we can lift our hands and praise Him.

Lord God, JEHOVAH, we praise You and thank You that You love us and have provided salvation for us.

The Apostle John confirms God’s self-existing nature in John 1:1-2 by writing, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” To learn more, watch Debbie’s teaching on John 1 HERE or listen to it HERE. 

¹ Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update (Chicago: Moody Press, 2008), 2057.

As believers, we can often find that we want to put God first, but we struggle against our own human nature and habits. The Apostle Peter, who struggled more than once with his human nature, boldly encourages us that we have everything we need for life and godliness in 2 Peter 1:1-4. To listen to Debbie’s teaching on the subject, click HERE. 

“You can’t see God, so how do you know He’s there?” people sometimes ask. I think one of the best responses is found in Romans 1:19-20 where Paul writes:

“…because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power, and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”

Paul acknowledges that God is invisible to our eye. However, he points out that God’s existence is clearly seen by how God has and continues to express Himself through creation.

Look at the glory of the sunrise, sunset, and heavens. Consider the majesty of the mountains. Inspect the tiniest flower. Count the sizes, shapes, and colors of animals. Marvel at the miracle of the human body.

God may be invisible, but His handiwork is clearly visible. Our privilege and calling is to give credit where credit is due for God’s creation, eternal power, and divine nature that is clearly displayed. Join me in the following chorus of praise.

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 1:17

King eternal, immortal, INVISIBLE God, we praise You and thank You for the glory of Your creation and for making Yourself clearly seen through Your handiwork. May our lives point people to You.

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