03/15/09

This is from my devotion I read last night. I am not sure of the author because this devotional has many different people writing. (Just know I am not the original author!) It challenged me and I wanted to share:

Psalm 113:1,3
Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.
From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised.

Are you a content person? Or has discontentment entered into your life making you a sad, embittered person? What can you do about it? Praise is not often thought of as a weapon, but it has power to overcome the enemies of God's people. Praise should be considered an essential partner with the Bible and prayer in defeating the enemies of contentment. Unlike the days of King Jehoshaphat whose people saw their physical enemies defeated through praise, our enemies are spiritual. However, the principle is the same. When they "began to sing and to praise" God gave them victory over their enemy (2 Chronicles 20:21-22).

Praise honors God and it will change the condition of your heart in the process. It refocuses your life and places your attention on the One who is worthy of undivided attention. All of us should praise Him from the time the sun comes up until it goes down.

You were made to praise your Maker. David said, "I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore" (Psalm 86:12).

Battling the strongholds of discontent is not easy. It is war. We all fight the battle for peace, joy, and contentment and it's a battle that rages in the heart and mind. Don't you agree that Satan would want you to believe that God has not been good to you? Haven't you ever said,

I deserve more out of life?

Or, if God really cared He would have helped me reach my goals,

If God really cared He would not have allowed the tragedies that I have faced in my life.

All of that kind of thinking is of the Evil One and not of God.

God does care; He promised that He would never leave us without His help. Read His promise and let it sink deeply into your soul, "be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5).