Thursday, February 17, 2011

Let All the People Praise Him


Psalm 67:3, 5 - Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You.

I'm in Arizona. It's a partly sunny day, big fluffy clouds are blowing across the sky. It's not really warm enough to sit outside without long pants and long sleeves. As I sat at the dining room table relishing in the occasional spurts of sun between the clouds I remembered a time when I would come out here and be absolutely overtaken by the beauty of the mountains, desert, cactus, sunshine and critters.

All of a sudden the thought came to be that I would worship God for all the differences between Arizona and Wisconsin. I would sit outside and contemplate the magnificence. Two totally different landscapes and temperatures. Two totally different lifestyles as well. As much as I enjoy and realize the God of all creation has touched this part of the country as equally as He touched my home town and home state, and all the world, I have grown used to Arizona. It provides a respite from the cold in winter, but not quite like it used to.

I can remember how excited I would become just during the drive from the airport to "home." Now it's almost commonplace. And a sudden uncomfortableness struck me and I thought, "is this complacency toward You, Lord?" Oh, how I never want to become complacent...and yet there are times when it can happen. I think that happened this morning, which I don't really want to admit. 

I realized I used to sit outside in the Arizona sunshine and listen to the birds and I'd hear and see God in all things. I would worship Him for the amazing differences. And I realized I was not doing that this trip. Why, I wondered? 

And the thought quickly raced through my head..."You need to see Me in the everyday things, in the mundane." And I bounced back immediately and praised God for that. Yes, we need to see Him in the smallest of things because it's not just in the grand sights or grand feelings we have but in the smallest detail of everyday life, even in the uncomfortable things of life.

He encompasses ALL things. As I began to write, a song came to mind and I had to tune in to it...All Creatures of Our God and King, written by St. Francis of Assisi. (This is my favorite version of it by Fernando Ortega. Just listen to the song's words because some of the photos are hokey!) It was just what I needed. I looked out the windows again and just as the lyrics Ye clouds that sail in heav'n along, I happened to be staring at the clouds floating smoothly by. That may seem like a small thing, but I guarantee it is not to our God and King.

We cannot let our down days, our tired days, our aching days, whatever days we feel lost, get the better of our love for the Lord. We cannot lose sight that even in our worst moments, He wishes us to rejoice in Him. He wishes us to praise Him in every circumstance. And you know what happens when He does...He lifts our spirits. He puts a glad tear in our eye for all He has created for us...and for what He has created us for! 

We are not here in this world just to live and die without meaning. We are born that we might worship Him first and then spread that love we have for Him. We are to spread the words of what He has done for us, how we have finally seen Him for who He is. Oh, people, there is so much more to know about Him if you just take the opportunity. 

Let Him lighten your load. Praise Him for that breath He allowed you to breathe this morning. Let Him open up a new world for you...just like how I feel when I see the difference between Arizona and Wisconsin. What He shows us is like night and day. This is what He does in our lives. He takes us out of the darkness and puts us in His shining light. He opens up our mundane lives and creates new things within us. He gives us the opportunity to see so much in such a different way and it's so glorious! 

There are days when we just need to be reawakened, I guess.  Oh, praise Him, alleluja!

I read Oswald Chambers' devotion for today in My Utmost for His Highest. He talked about depression and although I don't for a minute think I'm depressed, it spoke to me about how I was feeling this morning. If we were never depressed we should not be alive; it is the nature of a crystal never to be depressed. A human being is capable of depression, otherwise there would be no capacity for exaltation.

Sometimes we just get ourselves into a temporary funk. Even with God, I think. But if we never experience the lows in life, we cannot feel the highs, as Chambers states, of exaltation. So, in just a short span of time this morning I went from the doldrums to praising God! And a new day began.... God is good at doing this. Check Him out and find out for yourself.

Another thing I recalled this morning: God is with us at all times, even in our times of busyness. He will never leave us nor forsake us if we have initially received Him. He will always draw us back if we stray or lose sight of Him for a moment or a day. I feel sad for people who never feel God even calling them...or asking them to return to Him. I'm certain He does too.

Romans 15:13 - Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

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