I decided that this month would be an ideal time to take a break from our studies in John, and refresh ourselves with praise for our God. Since our study blog is posted on weekdays, that gives us twenty days in the month of November for our praise focus.
Another book by Kenneth Smith states that we should: ". . .create the habit of praise! The Bible tells us that praise stops and confuses the enemy ... if the door won't open, praise God in the hallway!"
Join us, won't you?
On this first day of praise, let's start at the beginning:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were
made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life,
and that life was the light of all mankind. John 1:1-4
Today, on our first day of praise, let's praise the Father, and the Son. Let's spend some time in thought today, reflecting on the mystery of the Trinity. Praise Him for mercy and grace that had a plan, even in the beginning, to ransom us from our sins. Thank Him for the gift of the Spirit, that indwells us daily.
Our grateful hearts should sing praise when we think of His creating the world and all of the things in it, both large and small. It always amazes me when I hear people talking about things that make "intelligent design" so obvious, and yet they do not attribute this design to God. For example, recently I watched a television report that gave information about a tiny weather system that is created by mushrooms. Yep, you heard me right! The mushrooms have a way of utilizing humidity and air temperature to create a very, very, very small wind current that carries their spores out from under the mushroom and into higher air currents, so that the spores can be distributed. Kinda like a "be fruitful and multiply" system for mushrooms and toadstools!
To me, that just screams, "God made that!" He planned it, He designed it, and it's incredible! But of course, most of the scientists today would simply say that the process was a proof of evolution.
Today as you pray and enjoy a quiet time with God, praise Him for Who He is, and for the Son and the Spirit, and for the incredible love and wisdom that created our world.
What a fabulous idea..... a month of praise. I'm sure that, after reading the posts on the week days, we can find our own praises for the weekends. Why is it always so much easier to grumble than to praise? I've been sitting here, watching the last of the leaves fall from the trees, and the first impulse is to grumble and complain that it's cold and winter is coming. What would happen if I turned the grumbling about winter and the cold into praise? After all, God created the seasons, and the weather. So really, when I complain about the cold or the snow or the wet, I'm complaining about God and what He has done in His creation and providence. Something to pray about.... a total change of attitude.
ReplyDeleteA few weeks ago on my blog I posted a picture of a beautiful sunrise I was watching from my kitchen window. All I could think of was Praise for Our Heavenly Father for the gift he was giving me in the sunrise.
ReplyDeleteThen entire day I was singing the original Cat Stevens song, "Morning Has Broken."
Morning has broken like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the Word
Sweet the rains new fall, sunlit from Heaven
Like the first dewfall on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where His feet pass
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day."
Praise to the Lord..His mercies are new each day.
That is a lovely idea! When it comes to the determination of folk not to conceded an intelligent designer, one of our most famous atheist scientists recently acknowledged that "we would be naive to categorically say there is no God"!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to the month of praise :)
Caro x
Great idea for this month.
ReplyDeleteThat mushroom story is amazing as is God. I love to be in His creation. I took a walk today and praised Him for the wonderful fall we have been having.
Since I seem to be back among the living....(PRAISE) this is a wonderful idea for the month of November!
ReplyDeleteEach time I see a sunset, the beauty of a lake or ocean, or a rainbow, I think of God's creative hand. I often thank Him for His beautiful creations and need to be thanking Him more for WHO HE IS.