September 2010
Too often we complain about our problems to anyone who will listen and praise God only in private. How much better it would be for us to complain privately and to praise God publicly. God pays attention to those who call on him. Whether God offers escape from trouble or help in times of trouble, we can be certain that he always hears and acts on behalf of those who love him.
We fear evil or powerful people because we know they might harm us. We fear God because we know that he has the power to harm us and yet His power to love us is greater.
Psalm 35:18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly; I will praise you among many people. NLT (New Living Translation) Then I will thank you in front of the entire congregation.
Belonging to God require our reverence for God. We reverence God because we have come to know him--his holiness, his love, and his parenting of us, his children. We belong to God. When we approach God, is it in a spirit of reverence?
Heb 2:12 "Saying: "I will declare your name to my brethren; in the midst of the asembly I will sing praise to You."
Faithfulness is praise worthy. When people tell others about you, would they declare that you can be trusted completely, or would they indicate that a person needs to be on guard when around you? The only way we can earn praise for faithfulness is to be faithful.
We can learn to be faithful by meditating on God's faithfulness to us through His word and His actions.
When we are going through, we must continue to pray and worship God. God is the one that can calm the storms in our lives not us God can calm our spirit enough to take our mind off of what was going on around us and fix our thought on heaven above.
Those who have never truly suffered may not appreciate God as much as those who have matured under hardship and trials. Those who have seen God work in times of trouble and stress have a deeper understanding and insight into his loving kindness. If you have experienced great trials, you have the potential for great praise.
As I close, I want you to remember one thing if nothing else, God is the Shepherd; we are His flock. God is the creator, we are His creations. God is the Father, we are His children. When we remember these basic truths life goes a lot smoother for everyone.
