Ezekiel 29:1-3 - In
the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day, the word of the LORD
came to me: "Son of man, set your face against
Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all
Egypt. Speak to him and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD
says: " 'I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, you great
monster lying among your streams. You say, "The Nile is mine; I made it for myself."
Ezekiel was given a word for the leader of Egypt. He had tortured the chosen people of God….but
worse than that he had claimed to make and own the river that gave life to his
country. God likened him to a great dragon…and said he would drag him out of his
watery home and let him die with all the fish from the river he said he had
made.
It is a great reminder to me to never take credit for
anything that materializes in my life.
Job’s great words of praise whisper in my ear from Job 1:21…. “and said:
"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD
gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."
Even in his great sorrow he knew where his strength and power to do anything
came from.
God wants us to give him glory and praise for everything we
do. Some people think I am a little too exuberant sometimes when I shout out
praise for a little thing like a copy machine working when I needed it really
bad….and perhaps only the teachers that read my blog will understand the depths
of my appreciation for a seemingly small thing. But just the process of smiling
and telling God thank you lifts me up…gives me a bit more power and strength to
go on with my task.
I will admit that most days I forget to praise…and I need to
permanently stamp Philippians 2:14 somewhere I will see it before I open my
mouth. It says… “Do everything without
grumbling or arguing.” The frustration satan tricks me into spirals into some
of my worst days because I forget to praise God for anything those days.
The hardest times to praise God for me are for the losses in
my life. But I will say that the days that I find enough courage and will to
thank God for my divorce…and praise him for allowing even one month with my
second husband Mitchell before he called him home…those are the days I feel the
closest to my God. He does what he promised in Isaiah 40:31…. “ but those who
hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like
eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Father…thank you for reminding me to stay in a constant mode
of praise to you. Forgive me for the
times that I have let my spirit slip into grumbling and complaining. Help me to
find a way to stop and praise you for all the things ….good or bad….so you can
help me see past the pain in what I think are troubles. Amen
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