 |
| [Image by Scott W. on Flickr] |
As human beings, we tend to put too much emphasis on the "now." We forget that the "now" or the present is only a piece of the pie, only a chapter of the book, and only a small part of the journey. In a flimsy judgment of the present, we disregard the past, or the strides we took to get to the past, and the future...or the tiny steps we are taking to get to the future.
Why Do We Wait to Praise?
We wait for one major accomplishment after another before we sing our praises. We seek giant successes all our lives and suddenly find ourselves living only for big victories and ignoring the smaller precious moments. We win one and start praying to God for another. We want more and more, never satisfied with the sufficiency of the blessings in front of us. The in-betweens suddenly seem insignificant. The days in the middle of one success and the next feel like absolute torture. We forget that the entire journey of our life matters. What we don't know is that both the destinations and the in-betweens are equally important, and BOTH require God's praise.
A Praise That Never Pauses
In every situation, God's proclamation about your life should be your very own proclamation too. Because, ultimately, what God thinks about you is what you should be thinking about yourself. If God's Word is true (and it is), then your praise should reflect it. Even when you're going through the valley, the way you walk should reflect your praise & confidence in the Lord. There's no need to wait for a new testimony to happen before you praise Him. What are you waiting for? You already know that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel, that "all things will work together for your good," so why do you store your praises for the future?
No, I will not wait till I reach my next destination before I praise You, Lord. Yet, while I am still on the journey, I will praise You every single day. Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and End, the Lion and the Lamb. You were there when I was born, and You are here now, even as I walk through the journey. My praises are not as a result of check-marks on a bucket list, they are just because of who You are.
You, the Giver of amazing destinations, You are also the Giver of the journey. Whether I journey through the wilderness or the promise land, every second You are amazing and Your mercies are new every morning. Every moment You are the same. Yesterday, today, and forever.
Why do we hand-select the days or weeks to praise You? We do not worship a 'feel good' God but an awesome God who knows the end of the journey from the beginning, the Master Potter, Creator of time. In every bit of our journey, both in the calm moments and turbulent times, we were created to praise Him and magnify His name. Turbulent times don't last, they only silently prepare us for our final victory in Christ. So dance even when it feels like it's difficult, child, yes even right now. Let your heart be filled with praises right now and every second of your life. It does not matter what you are going through, according to God's Word, you...yes you...are ultimately VICTORIOUS.
"Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord," (Psalm 150: 2,6). | "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and FORGET NOT all His benefits," (Psalm 103:2). | Dear Readers, whether you walk through the wilderness or within the gates of the promise land, the Lord is good...and His mercies endure forever. Let your praise to Him be TRUE & LOUD today and every single second of your lives. We were created to praise Him.
