Praise – Devotion 74

There are days when nothing seems to go right.  We feel as though we have the opposite of the Midas touch.  We lose keys (and our mind), we trip over our own feet, we lose the phone that is in our hand, and we simply cannot seem to get it together.  Those days are what they are.  We live through them and hope tomorrow isn’t the same.

There are days when all seems to fall into place.  Our conversations go well.  We offer kindness and notice it in others.  We don’t spill our coffee and it is made just right.  Things just seem to flow in an usually peaceful way.  And we can only hope tomorrow is the same.

Through either of these, there is something we can do.  There is a consistency in both.  It is, I’ll admit, not the obvious answer.  It can be a challenge.  But what if…no matter what our day holds…we praise God?  What if, instead of complaining about the difficult days, we praise God for another day?  What if, instead of simply feeling relief over a good day, we praise God for the joys?  What if our natural inclination, no matter our circumstances, is to praise?  How might that change things?

If we are constantly focused on praise, we will be on the lookout for where God is working.  We will be honed into the beauty and majesty of his work.  We will take the time to praise God for simply the air to breathe.  It may be the simple, small things that cause us to praise, but at least we will be looking for them.  It might shift our attention from the difficult days to the joys in each day.  It may cause us to take a second look at the things that would normally turn our day the wrong way.  We might find ourselves looking for the praiseworthy.  And there is always something in each day that causes us to praise.  No day goes by that God is not working.  No day happens without his love and joy.  Some days just may cloud our view.  We can clear it out and praise him anyway.  May we never lose our praise.

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 96

¹ O sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
² Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
³ Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples.
⁴ For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be revered above all gods.
⁵ For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
⁶ Honor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

⁷ Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
⁸ Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts.
⁹ Worship the Lord in holy splendor;
tremble before him, all the earth.

¹⁰ Say among the nations, “The Lord is king!
The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.
He will judge the peoples with equity.”
¹¹ Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
¹²     let the field exult, and everything in it.
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
¹³     before the Lord; for he is coming,
for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with his truth.

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery