A benefit of praising God

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Kings 15:1–16:20 
Acts 19:13-41 
Psalm 147:1-20 
Proverbs 18:4-5

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Psalm 147:1 "Hallelujah! How good it is to sing to our God, for praise is pleasant and lovely."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

There are so many wonderful blessings to enjoy throughout our day if we will only stop to look for them. 

Yet, it is also true that this isn't Heaven. We live in a broken world. It began to malfunction when Adam sinned (read Genesis 3). It's as if he put water in the gas tank and things have never been the same since.

If we aren't careful, in this messed up world, we may begin to focus on the bad things. The news stories are almost always bad. People get killed, employees get laid off, marriages end in divorce, children die of cancer, churches split, terrorism happens, and so much more.

So, to swim again the flow and develop a mind that is positive (Philippians 4:8) and set on the joy of crossing of the finish line (Colossians 3:2), it will take discipline. It will take consistent hard work, especially if we have previously tended to be negative.

Our Verse for Today gives us the content. It tells us what we can do to lift our attitude and perspective.

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 147:1 "Hallelujah! How good it is to sing to our God, for praise is pleasant and lovely."

First of all, it begins with the word "Hallelujah."

• "Hallel" = praise
• "Jah" - is the short version of Jehovah which means "the Lord"

After callings us to praise the Lord, our verse tells us that praising the Lord is "pleasant" and "lovely." It's positive. It's constructive. It's beautiful.

So, what exactly does it mean to praise the Lord?

It means that we focus on an attribute of who He is (not necessarily what He has done) and celebrate that.

For instance, if I am going through a really tough time and feel like my life is out of control, I can focus on the fact that God is omnipotent (can do whatever He pleases) and that He is fully in control of every single event in my life. So, I could praise Him for that attribute. In doing so, it will help me to find comfort in my chaos.

Or maybe I'm taking a walk and notice a particularly beautiful sky or a flower. I can enjoy the beauty of the moment and then praise my God. Why? Because He is the one who created it (John 1:1-3) and is actively, moment-by-moment, sustaining it (Colossians 1:15-17). My praise could take the form of a prayer like this: "Heavenly Father, You are an incredible artist. The beauty of Your creation gives me a glimpse into how wonderful You are. Thank you for this moment."

On and on we could go. We can praise God for His infinite wisdom, His power, His glory, His grace and mercy, His love, His forgiveness, etc., etc., etc.

If you want to lift your mood and enjoy the God who made you, find some attribute of God that is relevant to where you are in life right now and praise Him for it.

You may not feel like praising Him right now. But, let it at least be an act of your will. If you continue to choose to praise Him, eventually, your emotions will get on board and it will bring joy to your heart.

Oh, and by the way, this is why being a part of a church family is so important. Our regular, weekly gatherings are intended to be a time of praise and worship. If you are overwhelmed with the trials of life and struggling to praise God, you will be surrounded by others who are praising Him. Simply being in that environment will greatly help you to get into a right state of mind.

Psalm 147:1 "Hallelujah! How good it is to sing to our God, for praise is pleasant and lovely."

Christian positive thinking

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Kings 3:1–4:17 
Acts 14:8-28 
Psalm 140:1-13 
Proverbs 17:22

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Proverbs 17:22 (CSB) "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

What we think about is just as important as what we eat. In reality, it's probably more important.

I'm sure that you've noticed within our American culture that quite frequently a food or beverage will be labeled unhealthy. Whether it's sugar, or sugar substitutes, or fried foods, or carbonated drinks, we are told to avoid these products because they are not good for our body.

However, our culture is not nearly as concerned with what our minds feast on. Yet, our Verse for Today reminds us that the state of our minds directly affects the state of our bodies. It tells us that if we are happy, it is like medicine to our bodies and if we are broken and depressed, it adversely affects our body in powerful ways.

Proverbs 17:22 "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones."

Everyone of us has experienced the truth of this verse. 

We can remember spending time with friends and laughing so hard that our cheeks hurt - but we felt so alive! We needed less sleep. Any aches we may have had temporarily disappeared. We just felt great!

Yet, we may also know what it is like to feel utterly defeated, completely hopeless, and hopelessly depressed. Even if the sky was brilliantly blue, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, and everything else was going wonderfully well, we didn't notice. We just felt like staying in bed all day. We had no energy. Our body ached. And we dreaded another day.

Friend, what you think about and how you respond to what happens to you directly affects everything else in your life. If you allow your mind to dwell on the negative, then eventually, your body will feel the effects ... and it's a downward spiral. Yet, if you insist on thinking only about what is good and right, this too will affect your body and everything else.

As a Christian, we struggle with our thought life just like anyone else. Yet, there is no reason that we should be negative. There is so much going for us!

God is our Father.

Nothing can happen to us without coming from His hands.

He has promised to work everything for our good.

Jesus, our older brother, died to make us a part of His family.

God's Holy Spirit has taken up residence in our body.

One day, we will be with our Lord in Heaven forever and ever.

On and on we could go.

So, keep your chin up and only think about what is good!

Colossians 3:2-4 "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

Philippians 4:8 "Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable - if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy - dwell on these things."

An Attitude of Gratitude

TODAY'S BIBLE READING:

Leviticus 14:1-57 

Mark 6:30-56

Psalm 40:1-10

Proverbs 10:11-12

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Psalm 40:5 "O LORD my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

The world is filled with negativity. It is filled with heartache. It is filled with injustice. It is filled with positivity. It is filled with joy. It is filled with equity.

It just all depends upon what you are looking for.

Randy Alcorn, in his book "Happiness," said: "Our happiness is dependent not on circumstances but on perspective."

That's true! It's simply dependent upon how we look at the things that happen to us and around us.

If you look at the verse for the day, you'll see a man who is a "glass-half-full" kind of guy. But, it's not because his life was easy. No, his life had been pretty stinky. 

He said in verse 1 that the Lord heard his cry. Why would he cry out to the Lord unless something was desperately wrong? In verse 2, the Psalmist says that the Lord lifted him out of the pit of despair. It sounds like things had been pretty rough.

Yet, he was acknowledging the Lord's goodness and talking about counting all that the Lord had done for him.

Why not consider following in the Psalmist's footsteps. I'm not asking if life is easy or tough for you right now. I'm simply asking if you will count your blessings today. Will you sit down and write out a list or get with a friend or loved one and verbally go through a list of all of the good things that the Lord has done for you?

If you do, I guarantee that your mood will lift. Regardless of your circumstances, your heart will be lifted to the heights that only a grateful heart can take it.