And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28: 18-20

Praise

Changes

Things

There is a cure for the heart that cannot seem to find its way above water. When the depth of the darkness feels inescapable, and the walls are caving in faster than you can dig yourself out, when the very breath in your lungs suffocates the next, there is a therefore.

I’ve been there. I’ll sit with you in the depths, and I’ll quietly share my love for Jesus Christ and my acceptance of his grace, truth and mercy in my life; it’s the only thing that’s ever fully pulled me out of the darkness.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

 

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

 

Ephesians 3:14-21

I have breath in my lungs today because I found there was something better out there than what the world had offered me. All I had to do was humble myself, pray and seek His face. Without receiving Christ’s free gift of salvation I can honestly say I may not have made it to 41 years. I praise God every day for another opportunity to wake up and tackle whatever life has for me that day. It is in His strength I live a life filled abundantly with the fruit of the Spirit.

You see, the battle I was fighting wasn’t an earthly one against flesh and blood and the stuggles of life, but rather a battle for my soul. The best part, I get to choose who wins that battle.

When I choose to praise God through the battles, He wins.

It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying,”A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar”.  And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

 

Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, and said, “O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, “If disaster comes upon us – sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine – we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.”

 

“And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir – whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them – here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

 

No all Judah, with their little one, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord.

 

The the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the sone of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. And he said, “Listen, all you of Judan and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Zis, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”

 

And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high.

 

So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judan and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper. And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and we saying:

“Praise the Lord,

  for His mercy endures foever.”

Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.

 

2 Chronicles 20: 4-22

And you know what, that changed my perspective on the battles before me. James 1 teaches..

 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

 

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who give generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

 

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised him.

 

James 1: 2-8, 12 NIV

Choosing to consider it pure joy is just that; it’s a choice. It is not natural to feel that the hard, gut wrenching, stressful things in life as joyful. They aren’t joyful.

But, there is joy to be found!

I can choose to focus on the hard, or I can do an equally difficult thing and find ways to praise the Lord in the midst of it. One choice brings more darkness and despair; the other brings light into the darkness. And what is the light we bring into the darkest depths?

Hope in a new life through Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords. The only one who accepts us right where we are, says we don’t have to stay there.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4: 4-9

Praise shines light in dark places.

Praise brings glory to God who makes all things new.

Praise crumbled the walls of Jericho and wiped out armies seeking to destroy God’s people.

Praise takes your mind off of the battle before you and places it on the one who goes before you into battle.

Praise changes things.

He gathers my tears when I’m struggling, and gives hope to my weary soul that one day, with the glorious appearing of Christ, we will celebrate together a life without pain and suffering. Now that is something worth my praise!