Minute Musings...I Will Praise You Lord

Psalms 86:12  "I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart:  and I
will glorify Thy name for evermore."

The word "praise" is found 248 times in the Bible.  Usually when something is repeated,
it is meant to be of extreme importance!  We are instructed, commanded and flat out
told to praise the Lord.

We find in Psalms 119:164, "Seven times a day do I praise Thee because of Thy
righteous judgments."

I believe that this is setting up the day to be shrouded in praise.  I've learned this
about praise...you can't be in a grouchy mood and praise the Lord!  To be in the
spirit of praise to the Lord requires your spirit to be right with the Lord.  What a
wonderful way to go through the day, rejoicing in the Lord and praising Him for
all His goodness to you.  I guarantee that those around will be blessed and
encouraged by your attitude of praise, it will become contagious!  If you're a
disgruntled person, that will permeate to those around you.  If you are a joyful
person, full of praise and thanksgiving, that will affect those that you come into
contact with.

We have much to praise the Lord for.  If we would just stop and count our blessings,
our complaining, bitter, angry dispositions would disappear.  We would become
children of God, that will bring those hurting around us to the healing love of our
Heavenly Father.

What kind of Christian are you?  Are you known for your depressing attitude, or
do you draw those around you into the presence of God through your attitude of
praise?  "I will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart:"

Minute Musings...Be Renewed!

Ephesians 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.

The 9 words in this verse hold the key to victorious Christian living.  We can be saved,
but have an unconsecrated mind.  We are told in the previous verse to, put off concerning
the former conversation of the old man.  The word conversation here means lifestyle.
The words, put off, refer to a deliberate act of our will.  We are to consciously leave
behind our old sinful lifestyle, with the Lords help of course, and let the Spirit of God
renew our minds.

Philippians 2:5 tells us, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
Again, take note that this verse starts with the word, Let.   This is once again a
deliberate act on our part, it is an act of submission to the Lord.  So just what was the
mind of Christ Jesus like.  It was a mind centered on the Heavenly Father and His
divine will.  It was a mind given over to service.  It was a mind of obedience and
submission to the Father.  It was a mind clothed in meekness and humility.  It was
a mind that was driven by love.  It was a mind that was constantly in a state of praise
and worship towards the Father God.

When we have a mind like our Lords, the things of this world will seem trivial.  Eternity
will be utmost in our thoughts.  The needs of those around us will drown out our own
self-centered needs.  The will of our Heavenly Father will crush our own selfish desires
and pursuits.  Our minds will be filled with praise and worship toward the King of
Kings and Lord of Lords.  Our only desire will be to glorify our Heavenly Father in
all that we say and do.

We are admonished by the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:8, Finally, brethren, what
soever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are
of good report:  if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these
things.

Look closely at these things;  true, honest, just, pure, lovely, good report, virtue, praise. 
These are all words that describe our wonderful Lord and Savior!  When we think 
(another deliberate act on our part) on these things, then our mind is stayed on Christ,
and it will be renewed in the Spirit of Christ!

Today, make a deliberate decision to put off your old sinful way of life, and let the
mind of Christ dwell in you!  Enjoy your victorious day in the Lord!

Minute Musings...Learning To Lean

I love the song, "Learning To Lean" by John Stallings.  It goes like this;

The joy I can't explain fills my soul,

Since the day I made Jesus my King;

His blessed Holy Spirit is leading my way;

He's teaching and I'm learning to lean.

 

There's glorious victory each day now for me,

I found His peace so serene;

He helps with each task if only I'll ask;

Every day now I'm learning to lean.

 

Chorus:

I'm learning to lean, learning to lean,

Learning to lean on Jesus;

Finding more power than I'd ever dreamed,

I'm learning to lean on Jesus.

 

Leaning is a learned position.  In order to lean on something or someone, you must

be still.  Leaning is exercising your faith; you are trusting that what or who you are

leaning on will hold you up.  When you are truly leaning on something, you are

relinquishing your trust in your own strength and depending wholly on the strength 
of what or who you are leaning on. 

 

I'm learning to lean on Jesus.  I'm ceasing my business;  I'm trusting that my dear

Heavenly Father will hold me up;  I stop relying on my strength and depend on

the strength of my Savior.  Leaning on the Lord is an intimate position.  Who

better to lean against, than the One who laid down His own life, with a love for me
that's incomprehensible, so that I might have eternal life. 

Are you taking that precious time to lean in quiet trust on your Lord?  You will be
renewed with joy, peace, victory and power!

 

 Isaiah 41:10  "Fear thou not;  for I am with thee:  be not dismayed:  for I
am thy God:  I will strengthen thee;  yea, I will help thee:  yea, I will uphold
thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

Minute Musings...My Weakness, God's Grace

2 Corinthians 12:9  "And He said unto me,  My grace is sufficient for thee:"

If you are anything like me, this is the way things usually play out.  I see the obstacle,
come up with a plan of action.  I then proceed to try and make my way work, fail...then
turn to the Lord for His help.  Like 99% of this earths population, I do things the hard
way.

God's plan is as follows.  We see the problem, then turn it over to Him with complete
faith that our God is bigger than any problem that we come up against.  Doing
things God's way removes from our lives any struggle, frustration and wasted energy.
So why do we insist on doing things our way?  I  believe its because we do not like
to admit that we need help with anything.  We like the feeling of being in control.
Yet it is this control that leads us down the path to new and usually worse problems.

Letting go and trusting God goes against our nature.  However when we let God
have control He gives us peace and contentment even in the midst of difficulty. 

I've been learning anew this lesson over the past few months.  Moving 3 provinces
away, from the beautiful country to a major city hasn't been easy.  Leaving the
known and familiar, my friends and home was a hard struggle for me.  However
in the middle of the unknown God continued to remind me that His grace was sufficient
for whatever I was facing.  I can attest that divine comfort and peace was with me when
I gave my worries, fear and uneasiness over to my Savior, knowing that His will was
being done in my life. 

God never leads you where His grace doesn't keep you.  When we feel a lack of
the Lord's sustaining grace in our lives, it is not His fault...it's ours!  He has
promised...and God never breaks His promises!