 |
| Amy sharing a giant coat with her Grandpa |
Recently I’ve gotten into something that might borderline on an addiction. I’m talking about “pinning.” Have you heard of Pinterest? It’s an online way to explore, save and search for any idea you could imagine. It’s like the best magazine I’ve ever looked through. If you struggle with Facebook addictions and you enjoy Hobby Lobby, I would caution you. Many of my friends and coworkers have begun to be absorbed with it as well and I've noticed how often it has started to come up in conversation.
Doesn’t it seem like when you are learning something it seems to come up everywhere? One day, while feeding this growing habit (of pinterest), I see a “pin” of a decorative sign that says, “What if the only things you had today were the things you thanked God for yesterday.” This got me thinking of the things I was so thankful for, and there are many! I am very thankful to my family especially (see the pic of fun times with my Grandpa above) Soon after seeing that sign, at church and in several podcast sermons I listened to, I heard sermons on worship and more specific on praise.
One of the verses consistently ringing in my head during my devotional time is,”Enter his gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise” Psalm 100:4. Praise and thanksgiving certainly do seem related and important to God; perhaps because of their profound effect on us. While I am beginning to notice these things, my relationship with the Lord is seeming a little lackluster and in a slump. For a few days I ease off of my never ending list of requests, petitions, and the like. Instead, I just really praised Him, and guess what – the lackluster, seemed to have a little more shine and I felt the renewal that I’d been looking for.
Soon after, I hear another sermon that took this a little further. There was a story of a man with a rebellious daughter that had left home. The heartsick dad was asked, “Aren’t you just beside yourself with worry?” He says “No, I don’t worry, I worship.” Wow, what faith and knowledge of who really has the power to change our situation. I’ve always thought that worry is stewing without doing, so it made sense to me that you can take all of the negative emotion and give it the outlet of worship to transform all those negative feelings into something that truly does have the power to change. There is a powerful story of the Lord acting on behalf of His people in 2 Chronicles 20:21-22.
21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of His holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:
"Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever." 22 As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.
"Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever." 22 As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.
Wow, what a God that fights on our behalf, I love that one of His attributes is a warrior. Because I know without Him I make a pretty lousy one! I’m so glad when the Lord reminds me of the most basic things like praise and worship that really do make such a profound difference our lives. And how timely with Thanksgiving right around the corner!
Amy Thompson, Director of Operations
