My heart was overflowing this morning. I’ve spent two days in a prayer conference listening to great men of God expound the truth of the glorious gospel. They stirred my soul…convicted me of my mediocre living for Christ and then encouraged me to do more. I followed that with Wednesday night service at my own church; where, going in half prepared because of my week of traveling, God still came down and met with that group of teens. A packed house in our little class room, knee to knee they sat, some listening… some not. That’s okay, I don’t always listen either.
I’m straying away from the “But Now” series for today; kind of a station break of sorts to encourage you with the message that God gave me quickly today. It was the verse of the day on Biblegateway.com and it bated me in, hooked me and then reeled me into the rest of the chapter like an eager fish.
Psalm 33
Three ways to encourage God to encourage you!
PRAISE HIM AND BE HAPPY!
Praising God makes you pretty! Who knew? Well God for one, and I guess the writer of the Psalm had figured it out.
Vs. 1~ Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
There’s something about a person who’s in the process of praise. I’m not sure I’d call it a Shechinah glory, but the presence of God is obvious, it’s beautiful and they’re happy. Even if they’re in the throes of the worst battle of their life, if they begin to praise God He brings an unexplainable joy to their soul.
Tell somebody how good God is, and watch your heart get happy.
PRAISE HIM WITH BLUEGRASS (and don’t be a slacker)!!!
Okay that’s not in there, but it’s close:
2 Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. 3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.
See… I’m not lying. Those were the tools of bluegrass in the formative years. God said to play a new song and do it well. This is my take on that… When you sing before the congregation of the Lord, or before the kitchen table as I have this evening, sing like it’s the first time you’ve stood before Him and give Him your best. I cannot tell you the times I have been ill prepared and well prepared to sing, and Heaven came down, and times that I’ve sang and Heaven didn’t even open a window. It’s a matter of the heart. But God loves a good bluegrass song! And other genres too, that just happens to be my fav. Sing a song to the Lord and He’ll encourage you.
PRAISE HIM JUST BECAUSE
4 For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. 5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
God is good all the time.
A few days ago when ISIS was at it again, I awoke in the middle of the night and began praying for that family. My heart was broken. I didn’t have to know them, I just knew if it was someone I loved I would have wanted someone to pray for me. I didn’t know how to pray. I wanted to pray… God send a bomb down on top of those people and let it not kill them right away. I was that angry. And then I thought, “No, God died for them too, I have to forgive them.” But how? How is it humanly possible to forgive someone that heinous? It’s not. But with God, all things are possible. And God is good. I just have to go on that and praise Him in the good times and bad and let Him have His day of judgment on them. Praise Him for He is worthy, and if ISIS stops our praise, they’ve won another battle.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg of blessings in Psalm 33. I encourage you to read the rest yourself.
On a personal note, if I encourage you… please pray for this ministry, God’s will and share the messages so that I might encourage others. I can’t do it without ya. And it sure wouldn’t be as much fun.