Joy and Praise Hebrews 13:15 “So through Jesus let us always offer to God our sacrifice of praise, coming from lips that speak His name.” As a parent, I try not to respond to my children in the ways my mother did, the ways that did not seem right or fair to me. I try to listen more and put myself in their places in order to understand their feelings. It doesnt always come out that way, but it is my goal. Other times, they have put me in this Inspector/ Detective mode. I may inquire as to why a chore has not been done. I do my best Colombo impression: Im a little confused about the trash not getting out or Tell me again why that did not occur. The reply I get, I was going to do that, I just didnt feel like it yet. That one makes me nuts!!! As I am preparing to explode (because thats a choice it’s not automatic), I get a glimpse of how God sees us. How many times do we say to God, The Creator of the Universe, “Yeah about that, Im a little busy and just dont feel like doing that” or “Give me some time” or “Let me assemble a committee”... Sounds laughable when you put it that way, but we actually try to work some Deal with God. Wait and Lord should never be in the same sentence. Wait contradicts Lord. There are lots of times we dont FEEL up to doing a mission Jesus lays on our heart. As true as that may be, we dont possess the right or authority to tell Him wait anymore than we can tell Him NO. If we rise up (or like I tell a certain Princess of my own, climb out of your Hamster hole), in spite of our feelings or desires and do as Christ is telling us or leading us…we enter a whole different realm; the realm of JOY…the joy thats born of obedience. It’s the Sacrifice of our Praise Hebrews 13:15,16; that Joy that is the by-product created by doing as we are told even when it’s not what we Feel like doing. Once we begin a task given to us, we begin to enjoy it, and can’t wait to see it through the end; the pure JOY that can only come from obedience. The Joy that causes us to shout Hallelujah from our inner most child. The Joy born of knowing you are at the center of Abba’s Will. The Joy of a child who has just made Daddy proud. May the JOY of obedience fill your soul today. Let us pray: Abba, You are our Father. Such a simple thing to say, but harder in actuality to work out. Our flesh is at war with obedience. We live in a world where there is no concept of master and bond servant. It’s our choice to be obedient or do as Father asks. We do because Your love for us compels us to obey. Help us to be good and faithful servants. Ones that make Poppa smile with pride. In Jesus’ name and for His sake, Amen. Brought to you with Love by Living Witness Ministries. Please feel free to share, this as an outreach to others.
Posted on: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 02:44:17 +0000
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