Praising Jesus Christ should be the hallmark of our lives as Christians. Not just every day, but every moment. His glory, and His being should be the center of ourselves, and the fuel we use for daily life.
Should be… I know I fall short, way short, and need to constantly review the facts to stimulate my praise.
But the facts are the entire Bible.
Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. (Luke 24:27)
We could focus one at a time on innumerable aspects of Jesus Christ, praising Him for something different every day. And we should.
But for today:
Jesus Christ
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)
The Word from the beginning, with God and was God. (John 1:1)
The power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24)
Came to seek and save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)
Intercedes for us to the Father (Romans 8:34)
With us always. (Matthew 28:20)
The Alpha and the Omega. The Almighty. (Revelation 1:8)
Praise Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ, I praise You. You left Your eternal, glorious position in heaven, set aside Your independent exercise of Your deity, humbled Yourself to become a man, and sought sinners in order to save them, to save me. You are God and Lord, and yet those You’ve saved are Your brethren. You are the eternal, glorious Truth. All praise from all creatures belongs to You. Help me praise You more.
Praise Jesus Christ
“Hangeth thou in there, O baby!”
Oh, yeah?
Are you in a place of misery? Are you at your wits’ end?
How can you endure? How can you “hang in there”? How can you stand firm?
First, pray
First, always first, look to the Lord and pray.
Second, ask whether you need to act.
It may be that the Lord wants you to do something to change the situation. If so, ask Him what to work on. (Legally! Righeously!)
Do what needs doing.
But do you need to endure?
It may be that you have to endure the situation.
We are expected to endure
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
… but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses … (2 Corinthians 6:4)
You have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. (Hebrews 10:36)
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1–3)
HOW TO ENDURE
STOP!
If it is possible to step away and get your head/heart straight, do so. A breather. A time not to be in the midst of the battle, but a time to get before the Lord. If it isn’t possible, try to get away mentally.
Stop thinking about yourself and your misery.
Stop that internal dialogue about how awful it is.
LOOK!
We may not have a choice about whether we have to endure.
But we do have a choice about how we will endure.
The key is to look to Him rather than your own misery; To set your mind on things of the Spirit, not things of the flesh. (Romans 8:5-8)
Fix your eyes upon Jesus. (Hebrews 12:1-3)
LISTEN!
Recall God’s promises:
He allowed this for a loving purpose.
He will bring good out of it, making your more into the image of Christ.
He is with you through this and for you in this.
Remind yourself:
You have been given everything you need for life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3)
THEREFORE, you can get through this in a way that honors your Lord. I CAN
ACT!
Ask to see this trial from the perspective of eternity.
Resolve to endure–but put your hope on God, not yourself
Determine to think, say, and do what pleases the Lord.
Determine to hang in there. Make up your mind.
Determine to endure whatever He brings or allows, looking to Him for eventual redemption and reward.
REJOICE!
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials. (James 1:2)
We also exult in our tribulations… (Romans 5:3)
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You CAN endure with joy. I CAN endure with joy.
Yes! We CAN.
What does God think of you?*
I too often tell myself what a failure I am, how unlovable I must be. In a Facebook exchange I was assigned the letter “d,” and was supposed to send that to my friends asking them to tell me something about myself that starts with “d.” My immediate reaction was to call myself a “dumbs***.” Oh oh.
God’s wonderful truth
The wonderful fact, however, is that God loves me. He loves me!
I underestimate His love for me, and don’t comprehend the enormity of my position in Christ. Perhaps the same is true of you.
What God says about you, His child
It is helpful to periodically review God’s love for His children. Prayerfully read the following, inserting your name in the verses:
But God demonstrates His own love towards [your name], in that while [your name] was yet a sinner, Christ died for [your name]. (Romans 5:8)
See how great a love the Father has bestowed on [your name], that [your name] would be called a child of God. (1 John 3:1)
He predestined [your name] to adoption as son through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.” (Ephesians 1:5)
For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call [your name] brethren. (Hebrews 2:11)
Therefore there is now no condemnation for [your name] who is in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set [your name] free from the law of sin and of death. (Romans 8:1–2)
[Your name] is a temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in [your name]. (1 Corinthians 3:16)
[Your name] was sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of [your name’s] inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:13–14)
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for [your name], who is against [your name]? (Romans 8:31)
This is the truth, God’s truth
Believe what He says
We can—and must—believe what He says about us. Almighty God, Creator of the heavens and the earth, the creator of you and me, loves us. Don’t believe your negative lies about yourself. Believe God.
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God–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit–please help me comprehend and feel Your love for me. Please help me grasp the truth of who I am to You. Please make Your Truth penetrate my mind, my heart, and my thoughts, words, and deeds. Please help me substitute Your truth for my negative lies.
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*This post is strictly for those who believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and trust Him, and Him alone, for salvation. This is for the children of God.
God’s Children have Faith
As children of God, we have faith. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9)
The Strength of Faith Wavers
However, the strength of our faith varies. I would like to be consistently strong in my faith, looking steadfastly at my Lord, and unwavering in my walk.
HA!
Sometimes I seem able to view the circumstances of my life through a eternal lens, knowing the Lord is there, that He has given me what I need to live a godly life, and that He will bring good out of the events. Other times, I focus on my own issues and feelings, and too often feel sorry for myself, and behave poorly. Alas.
My faith wavers with the waves of life.
I am so grateful God’s Word shows us the fallibility of His people. It encourages me to know I’m not alone in this struggle.
Peter Walked on Water–For a Moment
Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:28–31)
Enough Faith
Peter had enough faith to ask Jesus to tell him to come to Him, walking on the water.
Peter had enough faith to get out of the boat.
Peter had enough faith to start walking on the water towards Jesus.
Sinking
But, then, Peter looked at the wind and took his eyes off Jesus.
Once he looked away from Jesus, he became frightened and began to sink.
Enough Faith
But Peter had enough faith to ask the Lord to save him. And the Lord did.
What to Learn and Apply
That could be a story of my life, just with different details. I might start strong and sink later.
What I want to learn—and apply—from this is:
- Always ask the Lord for guidance, for provision.
- Get started, looking to Him.
- Keep going, looking to Him.
- Don’t get distracted by the wind and waves.
What to do
When you are in the midst of wind and waves:
Look to the Lord.
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23)
Jesus, the Son of God, was born, became flesh, and dwelt among us. (John 1:14)
All things were created through Christ, yet He humbled Himself to be with us.
What an amazing, incomprehensible truth.
He Came!
As a child, did you ever hope your parents would come see your school play, but uncertain if they could? And there they are. They came! Were you ever in trouble needing help, and someone showed up? He came!
Well, God came! Almighty God, ruler of the universe, came. He came into our world, our trouble, our hopes. He came to find us, and save us, and give us an eternal hope. He came!
He Is!
Jesus promised that He is—IS—with us always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20)
And the Father gave us His Holy Spirit to be with us forever. (John 14:16)
When the final battle is won, and there is a new heaven and a new earth, God Himself will dwell with His children, we shall be His people, and God Himself will be among us. (Revelation 21:3)
God is present with His children. He is with us now and for eternity. Almighty, All-powerful, Creator God is with us.
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I praise You, Immanuel, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that You are God with us, that You came. Thank You for the personal relationship and attention You give us. Thank You that You are always with us in trouble and in peace. Thank You for Your eternal promise that You will always be with us, now and forever.
How do you lose one shoe?
When I was in kindergarten and first few grades (ok…maybe longer), I remember frantically running around the house hunting for … one shoe. I’d have the other one on.
My mom laughed about it later, but I’m sure it was an irritant at the time. “How do you lose one shoe?”
You lose one shoe the same way you lose your way… by not paying attention. I’m sure I’d get home from school and be focused on whatever I wanted to do (which did not involve shoes). I’d be on my way to wherever, tossing my shoes as I went.
How often do I do that sort of thing now?
The Bible is full of admonitions to keep alert, be on guard, be watchful, be awake.
Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. (Matthew 24:42)
Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41)
Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13)
Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving. (Colossians 4:2)
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)
Practice being Alert
We must practice becoming aware of our thinking, and directing our focus where it belongs. I should have thought a half second about putting both shoes where I could find them.
Spiritually, I need to practice being on the alert day-by-day, moment-by-moment,
Alert against sin, temptation, and false teachers,
Actively alert in prayer, and
Joyfully alert for His coming.
Where do you put yourself on the “Alert” meter?
Time is continuous, but turning the page to a new year prompts taking stock and setting goals.
How did you fare in 2016? What’s on your mind for 2017?
Gratitude versus Thanksgiving
Gratitude and thanksgiving are very similar. I think of gratitude as an attitude; a state of being grateful or thankful. While being thankful is also an attitude, I think more about giving thanks for specific benefits, people, or events.
In order to develop “an attitude of gratitude,” we need to be consciously, intentionally thankful. And we must scrub out grumbling from our lives.
Looking Back with Gratitude
I’ve tried lots of different methods to assess the past and plan for the new. This year I am doing something different. You might want to give this a try.
For what should I express gratitude? For what should I give thanks?
- I can see! In 2015 I had a significant scare with my eyes, but the Lord preserved my vision, and I am still doing well. I am so grateful this was His choice for me, even though I know He would be with me if I’d lost my sight.
- My book (When Storms Come: Will You Be Ready) is being used by Bible study groups and individuals. I’m thrilled to have it in readers’ hands and pray that the Lord will use it in their lives. I’m grateful it was published and available in paperback and eBook formats.
- I posted a blog every single Sunday of the year. (Since July 2014!) Blogging is mainly a one-way communication, at least for me, but I get enough feedback that I am encouraged. The Lord has used this blog in my own life, and I’m grateful.
And so forth.
I am going to go back through my journal, my calendar, and my checkbook to capture both big and small events for which I should give thanks and be grateful. It is so easy to enjoy the moment but not meaningfully capture its significance. And I’m not going to forget that I need to be thankful for what He taught me through some harder times.
I also need to watch for times I’ve grumbled. What was my gratitude/grumble ratio? Whatever it was, I need to eradicate grumbling and increase gratitude.
Gratitude is a good thing!
The Lord blesses gratitude. (See Give thanks. Always. In everything; Be Intentionally Grateful; Be the One)
Count your blessings as well
I’m thinking about this exercise in terms of temporal events, but I also periodically list as many of God’s blessings as I can in a defined period of time. For example, He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. He has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness.
Plan Gratitude into the New Year
Next, plan a method to increase your attitude of gratitude during 2017. And plan how you’ll decrease grumbling.
May your New Year, and mine, be marked by gratitude.
Christmas is the favorite holiday for many, both secular and Christian. It can be a joyous time, celebrating the Word made flesh, and dwelling among us. (See John 1:1-14)
Christmas, however, was a time of Christ’s humiliation. He humbled Himself, took the form of a bond-servant, and was made in the likeness of man (Philippians 2:6-7).
Then He humbled Himself by being obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8).
Christ’s obedience at Christmas and throughout His life on earth resulted in His exaltation…but not until later. Thirty-three years later.
A Son was Given
“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
Born in Humiliation
Jesus was born in a stable to poor parents. He was rejected by His people. He was accused of being illegitimate. He was accused of having a demon.
He created us and then allowed us to mock Him, spit on Him, scourge Him, crucify Him.
He died for us.
And our own sins were part of the reason.
Our Lord, our God, was treated abysmally. That isn’t a strong enough word.
This should hurt us.
The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me. (Romans 15:3)
He was and is God
Jesus Christ was eternal, almighty God before His birth. Jesus Christ was God throughout His time on earth. Jesus Christ is God now, seated at the right hand of the Father.
He gave up His rights and privileges as God in order to become man. He gave up His independent exercise of being God and submitted Himself to the Father. He gave up His glory in order to serve the Father and us…and to die so that those who believe in Him might live.
A time to rejoice
Christmas is truly a time to rejoice. But, remember, Christ was born in order to die for us. His birth meant His humiliation.
Christmas Eve!!!!! Thank You, Father, for sending Your Son. Thank You, Lord Jesus Christ for humbling Yourself and being made flesh. Thank You for showing us the Father, and demonstrating Your deity. Thank You for taking my sins—and those of all Your people—on Yourself, dying for us, and enabling the Father to declare us righteous through Your sacrifice. Thank You Father, for raising Christ from the dead and seating Him at Your right hand. Thank You, Father, for sending Your Holy Spirit to dwell in us, sealing us for the day of redemption, and guiding us to all truth. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for continually interceding for us. I am so grateful that one day we will be removed from the presence of sin and spend eternity with God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Help me love You more.
In the beginning was the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit was with God, and the Holy Spirit was God.
Creator
The Holy Spirit is Creator.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. … and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. (Genesis 1:1–2)
Dwells
The Holy Spirit dwells in us who are believers in, and followers of, Jesus Christ.
“Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16)
Calls
The Holy Spirit Calls Until the End
“The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.” (Revelation 22:17)
The Work of the Holy Spirit
But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. (John 16:13–14)
The Holy Spirit was part of our salvation.
He dwells in us guaranteeing our future glory.
He is at work right now making us more like Christ.
Right Now
Right now, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13), is our Helper (John 14:16), our Teacher (John 14:26) our Guide (John 16:13).
The Holy Spirit gives us access to the Father (Ephesians 2:18)
The Holy Spirit intercedes for us according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26).
The Holy Spirit gave each believer gifts for the work of service (1 Corinthians 12).
The Holy Spirit produces fruit in us: love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
And this is only a miniscule look at who He is. (Do your own study!)
Praise the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit, I praise You. You are God from everlasting to everlasting. Yet, You live in me. I cannot fathom how this can be, but I believe You. I am so grateful You dwell in me, guiding me to all truth. I praise You that You are doing all to sanctify me, empowering me to live righteously now, giving me gifts that I might serve, and equipping me for eternity. I praise You for Your constant intercession, knowing I could not take one godly step without You, nor could I withstand the pressures and evil of this world. I praise You for Your role in my salvation, Your work in the present, and Your guarantee of glory in the future.
Help me keep my mind on You, knowing that is my life and peace. Keep me from sin that I might not grieve You (Ephesians 4:30). Keep me on track that I might not quench You (1 Thessalonians 5:19). Help me live a life controlled by You. Show me more of Yourself that I might praise You more.
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This is the eighth in a series, Praise A to Z. See previous months for other posts.
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When Storms Come: Will You Be Ready?
When Storms Come: Will You Be Ready? helps Christians not fear bad news, shows them how to handle current trouble, and helps them emerge stronger on the other side.
About me
I'm a Christian, wife, retiree, and author.
I love studying and putting knowledge into action. I'll share what I'm learning, encourage you, and urge all of us to press on to become more like Christ.
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