Praise Him All The Time

I will be the first to admit that I’ve not always felt like praising God. There are times when my heart is heavy and hurt. There are times when I’m confused. There are times when I’m frustrated and angry. There are times when I’m just plain numb.  It is really hard to praise God when things are not going well in my life. I’m learning that there is a big picture here and the big picture is incredibly larger than my circumstances. I’ve learned this by looking back over the struggles and pain that I’ve experienced in my life. When I think back through some of the hardest times in my life, He was there. He didn’t yell or scream at me when I screamed and yelled at Him. He was very patient as I navigated what felt like, unbearable pain.  He was patient with me as I almost lost myself in the struggle. I’m a bit older and hopefully wiser now but struggle still stinks and suffering still hurts. My perspective is a bit different now. I’m learning to lean into His Presence to steady my steps in the midst of struggle and suffering. I’m also learning that no matter how much hurt or struggle I’m going through, there is always something to be grateful for that He has done or is doing in my life. Check this out….

¹ Praise the Lord!

Yes, give praise, O servants of the Lord.
    Praise the name of the Lord!
² Blessed be the name of the Lord
    now and forever.
³ Everywhere—from east to west—
    praise the name of the Lord.
⁴ For the Lord is high above the nations;
    his glory is higher than the heavens.(Psalm 113:1-4 NLT)

I don’t understand all that there is to know about God.

I don’t understand why He does some things and doesn’t do other things.

I guess I really want a perfect world where there is no evil present. I want utopia where everyone loves God and seeks to honor Him with their lives. The reality is that we really needed Jesus to come to seek and save lost people. I remember what it was like to be lost. It’s been a minute, but I remember stumbling and bumbling through life without Him. I had good days and bad days, but there were definitely more bad days than good days. When I was lost and without Him, my world was all about me. Now that I’m walking closely with Him, I’ve learned that my life has never been about me, it is really always about honoring Him. I was created to bring honor to my Creator.

A really cool song from years ago by country artist Travis Trittpopped in my head this morning.“It’s A Great Day To Be Alive”. I want to be thankful for today and every day that I live. I can honor the Lord with my gratitude and trust in Him no matter what life throws my way. I can praise Him every day for Who He is. The end goal of my life is to honor Him and spend eternity with Him.

Pressing On!

Dwayne