The Miracle of Praise

"Happy"
Oil Pastel by Chris Tracy

     Worship Leader Terry MacAlmon was singing on my Tahoe's CD player as I drove to the doctor’s office this morning. “Praise him, praise him, praise him, praise him.” Melodic, harmonic, and touching me deeply - I knew for sure that my singing along to this song was more for me in that moment than for God.
   What? you gasp. Yes. Praising God today was more for me than for Him.

Yes – we are asked by God and trained early in our Christian life to give Him praise…to lift praises to Him…for He is worthy and deserves our worship. I totally 100 percent shout my agreement and passion for His worthiness to receive every praise.

   But God, in His great love for me, gave me a voice and a song and a heart for worship. When I use these gifts to bring Him praise, I think I am blessed more than He is. I am filled with this feeling of intimacy with my Creator. I sometimes cry for the preciousness of it all. Sometimes I laugh. Often I dance. Mostly I am filled with joy and a knowledge I am not alone…He is always with me…He loves me…He adores me…He thinks of me…He speaks to me...He heals me. He knows I need to have this feeling I can only experience when I sing praises to Him.

   This is an example of the exceedingly abundant and extravagant ways He answers our prayers and blesses our lives. Could this be what "Christ in you, the hope of glory," (Colossians 1:27) feels like?

   What is meant for Him is ultimately for us. Only our loving Papa God would think of that.

   Oh Jesus, God, Holy Spirit…You astound me!

Read more in my new book, "Tapestry - The Divine Design for Your Life." I would be so honored for you to read it. Order here.

Hosting God's Presence

   In a season that has brought some grief as well as physical pain, I have been a bit withdrawn and antisocial. I tend to wonder if I am doing enough for God in my ministry. It's that old striving anxiety rearing its ugly head. God is not concerned with how much I do. He is concerned for me - His beloved daughter.  His only desire is that I rest in Him; seek Him; hunger for more of Him; and learn to recognize and host His presence.
   What is His presence? Can we feel it? Yes. I have felt it and pray you have or will feel it, too. It can be an electricity or heaviness over us as we worship and sense His love. It is peaceful. It is pleasurable. It is enough. In our busy lives, taking moments every day to invite His presence prepares us to be aware of His creative ideas and His moves in our day.
   I don’t want to miss what He is doing while I strive to be sure I’m "doing enough" for Him. I covet moments where I rest in His love, imagining myself a child in His joyful embrace.
   Yes – He has work for us to do. But we do it out of rest in Him. We do it not for His presence but from His presence.
   "In Him we live and move and have our being." Acts 17:28
   Holy Spirit, you are welcome here!

   Here’s a great song. Listen and soak in His love for you. "Holy Spirit You Are Welcome Here." (Written by Bryan and Katie Torwalt; sung by Kim Walker-Smith.)

Order my book "Tapestry - The Divine Design for Your Life." I pray it will bless you today! Click!