DAILY WORD – FRIDAY 21 OCTOBER 2005 (postscript)

BUT TRUE PRAISE IS A WORTHY SACRIFICE; THIS REALLY HONOURS ME. THOSE WHO WALK IN MY PATHS WILL RECEIVE SALVATION FROM THE LORD. (PSALM 50:23)

As I read the word, I sent out this morning I felt the Lord pressing me to share a little of my own experience regarding this scripture. I can only assume that there is someone on the net today who needs to hear this.

When we choose to praise God in the midst of painful times, our situation doesnt always change straight away. What does change, however, is our response to the situation.

We do not serve a ‘microwave’ God who, like a genie with a puff of smoke, makes all our problems disappear. Our God is God of the valleys as well as the hilltops. What quickly changes however, is our perspective. No longer do we see our situation with eyes filled with despair, but with eyes filled with hope. No longer do our hearts feel crushed with desperation, but rather filled with an abiding knowledge of His love and grace strengthening us and carrying us through.

In my own life I have experienced deep valleys and times when I wondered how God could possibly still be on the throne in heaven (I say this with the greatest respect for my God) times when the pain of my situation was so great I could not see any purpose in what was happening. But today as I look back,  I can see that the mighty hand of the Almighty God never let me go, but was in fact bringing me into a new place, a place of greater knowledge of Him and His power, love and mercy.

As each valley fades into the distance of my past, I find myself being able to respond to new challenges  with an ever increasing faith that my God still holds me in the palm of His hand, that my steps are ordered by Him and that He will lift me up when I stumble or fall. And as each year passes and new challenges appear, I find it so much easier to lift my heart and hands in surrender to His great wisdom and to praise in the valleys as well as the victories.

But maybe the greatest thing I see as I look back, is how my wonderful Lord and Saviour took the ashes of my life and created something truly beautiful, something that only His wonderful workmanship could create and I know without a doubt, He loves me.

HE LOVES YOU TOO AND WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU OF FORSAKE YOU

Praying this will encourage you today

Much love

Chrissy

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