365 Days of Praise

Are you married?  If so, do you remember where and when? I was married in an outdoor tabernacle on a wooden pew when I was 12. Oh, I’m not talking about when I married my earthly husband, Keith. I’m talking about when I said yes to Jesus – to be His bride. I was at a youth camp and the Holy Spirit convicted me during the evening service that I was a sinner in need of a Savior. I acknowledged my sin and confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior. He drew me close. He took my hand in His nail-scarred hand. Jesus forgave my sins and betrothed me to Himself before the Heavenly Father and angels. One day, I will see Him face to face. He is coming for me just as Matthew 25:6 says,

Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.

I’d love for you to hit the reply or comment button and tell me when you were betrothed to Christ.  

Jesus, You are the BRIDEGROOM, the Savior of all who accept Your proposal to be saved.  Thank You for coming to earth to save us. Thank You for loving us in spite of our sin. Thank You for preparing a place in heaven for us to live eternally with You. We rejoice and love You so much!

Are you hungry? Is there a gnawing in you? Do you feel that something is missing? Do you feel that no matter what you do, purchase, or where you go, you still want more? Do you fill the emptiness but it quickly returns? If so, maybe it’s your spirit that is hungry.  If so, the solution isn’t more food, clothes, or money. The solution is found by filling our spirit with the Holy Spirit of Jesus who John 6:48 describes as the BREAD of LIFE.  Jesus is to the soul what a delicious nourishing meal is to our body. Begin your day with bite-size Bible verses.  Chew on them throughout the day. At night, graze on the promises of Christ. Go to sleep with your soul fully satisfied in Christ.

Lord Jesus, we praise You, BREAD OF LIFE! Thank You for satisfying the yearning of our spirit as we meditate on You.

Have you ever walked through an unwatered garden? The plants are wilted. There’s little fruit if any. What a difference when you walk through a well-watered garden; one loved by the owner.  Flowers and fruit abound. The garden has a fragrant aroma. The gardener has withheld nothing and has committed everything to caring for the plants. In Jeremiah 31:12 God is described as just such a Gardner and His people like a well-watered garden.

They will come and shout for joy on the height of Zion, and they will be radiant over the bounty of the Lord—and their life will be like a watered garden, and they will never languish again.

If you are languishing and are physically, emotionally, or spiritually wilted, I understand. Life can drain us at times. Go to your Heavenly Father. Open your Bible. Be filled and refreshed by His Spirit. He loves you! Drink deeply.

Heavenly Father, we praise and thank You, BOUNTIFUL Lord, that although life can be draining, we don’t have to languish. Rather, in You are the wellsprings of life. Thank You for Your ever replenishing supply of love, joy, peace, and strength.

Are you alone?  Are you emotionally all over the place?  Are you broken? Are you sick? Ezekiel 34:16 tells us that God is in the business of tending to the lost, the scattered, the broken, and the sick. Listen to God’s promise:

I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick.

Yes, there are times in our lives when we feel like we can’t take one more step, that we can’t get through the day or night. How do we manage? We remember that our Heavenly Father sees us, He cares, and He is with us. We turn to Him. We let go of our stress by praying to Him. We read the Bible and are reminded of His love for us.  He didn’t create the world scattered, lost, and sick, but rather as beautiful, peaceful, and perfect. All that our heart longs for, we will one day experience in His presence.

(Keep a gratitude journal of the ways God is working in your life and helping you. It will encourage you that you are not alone. It will gladden your heart. It will strengthen you.)

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for being with us and BINDING UP the many ways we are BROKEN. Thank You for emotionally, physically, and spiritually strengthening us. 

Have you been thinking lately that there are few people you can trust? When we’re told one thing and then find out the person never intended to follow through on their promises, it’s disheartening.  That’s why we appreciate words like we find in Psalm 18:30 that says,

As for God, His way is BLAMELESS;…

Once again the Bible reiterates what we need and long to hear – that we can look to and fully trust our Lord. He is BLAMELESS which in Hebrew means “whole, entire, sound, complete, wholesome, unimpaired, having integrity, entirely in accord with truth and fact.” Wow! Reread the definition then celebrate and praise the Lord for who He is.  Confidently voice your faith in Jesus Christ. Let the light of the Blameless Lord shine through you.

Lord, we celebrate YOU, the BLAMELESS One!

Have you noticed that hate between people seems to be in the news more than love? That’s what makes God the Father and Jesus’s love for us so jaw dropping. Think about it for a minute. Jesus, at age 12, described the temple as the house of His Heavenly Father and in doing so claimed familial intimacy with God. At Jesus’s baptism, His Heavenly Father claimed intimacy with Him, saying,

This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased,” Matthew 3:17.  

“Beloved Son” is a term that means esteemed, dear, favorite Son. Yes, we are sons and daughters of God. Yet when we ponder the magnitude of our Heavenly Father’s sacrifice when He sent His favorite Son to die for our sins (John 3:16), and when we think of the magnitude of Jesus’s sacrifice when He left His Heavenly Father to come to earth to die for us, we can’t help but have profound gratitude and wonder at their love for us.

Heavenly Father and Beloved Son, we praise You for Your magnanimous love, grace, and sacrifice so we can live with You in eternal glory. Thank You! Thank You! We love You.