Praise

You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. ~ Revelation 4:11~

Praise is not only the song of rejoicing, it is also the song of surrender. Today, this thought filled my heart and mind as I read the words of Revelation 4:11. Praise is recognition of who God is and what He has done. My Lord is always deserving of praise. Though my circumstances may change, He never changes. He is ever worthy to receive glory and honor.

My words of praise are too easily depleted by unexpected circumstances and uncertain outcomes. Yet praise should not be determined by my circumstances, rather praise should be an overflow of my unwavering conviction that God is everything that He says He is and does all things exactly as they should be done.

In the midst of disappointment and distraction, if I will take a moment to recognize the character, attributes and promises of God, my focus will be shifted toward praise. With that moment of proper recognition, my attention is also put in the proper place: dwelling on my situation is transformed into meditating on the One who is in control of that situation.

There are so many things vying for my attention, wanting to rule and guide in my thought processes, but only God can bring order and organization to my thoughts. My mood and outlook can be radically changed by taking only a minute to acknowledge the Lord; that minute will affect the next minute, and thus the foundation is laid for a cycle of praise.

David Jeremiah says, "The best way to be fluent in the language of praise in heaven is to begin practicing here on earth". Praise is a language which needs no translator, it transcends nation, tribe and tongue. I want to be fluent in this language. I want to bring pure praise to the One who has given me true life. So, right now, in this minute, I will begin practicing this song of rejoicing and surrender. May the jingle of its tune take such a hold that I will not be able to get it out of my thoughts.

~Lord, you are worthy of all my praise; may every breath I breathe be a breath of surrender, a breath of acknowledgement that you alone reign, you alone perform good work. There is no other like you -- You are I AM, the First and the Last, Creator, Provider, Savior, Redeemer -- You alone do all things well. I praise you~