"I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips."

                                            Psalm 34:1

      I want to make my perspective on this crystal clear.  It's very simple in my mind, but I understand how to a new believer or a believer who is struggling that this is not so simple.  And that's perfectly fine, because it used to be very difficult for me to grasp.  The only reason it is now more simple is because my relationship with Christ has matured to a point where things are just starting to "click."

    If you praise God at all times, whether you are winning or losing, you will begin to see Him working in your life in ways you would never have imagined.  This is because God commanded in the Old Testament, and then Jesus taught in the New Testament, not to worry, to trust and believe in God, to glorify God above all else, to love and serve others.  If you do these things, you will be blessed.

    But what if you're going through a tough time wherein you're suffering?  Do you just forsake all this believer Christ-follower stuff as nonsense that doesn't work when you need it the most?  Guess what?  When I was a young believer, that's exactly what I did.  And what followed that was a time where God tried to show me that I was not receiving His blessings because I was not trusting Him, believing in Him, and PRAISING Him AT ALL TIMES. 

    I think it's important for me to remember that certain things that happen in this world are the result of worldly influences and Satan himself.  You always hear people say that everything happens for a reason.  God has a plan.  God wanted this to happen.  I think all of that is true, but I think that God doesn't want for us to suffer or hurt.  But we do because humans are very disobedient toward God and we suffer for it through sins and the strife that sin places in our world.  Hence His "plan".  To get you and me to wake up and start obeying Him!

    Praising Him through good or bad is one of His commands.  I'm writing about this today because this week I had some BAD stuff happen to me and I gave into anger and weakness.  I questioned God and I took some extenuating circumstances out on my wife.  Proverbially, I "fell down."  But as soon as I did so, I realized that I was only hurting myself worse by doing this.  So immediately after my "fall" I prayed to God and told Him that even through this time I loved Him, believed in Him, and trusted Him.  And that I wanted to glorify Him and by giving into my emotions and not loving and serving others as Christ taught, I was not glorifying Him. 

    I prayed that prayer with my wife, asked her and God to forgive me in my weakness, and spent the rest of the day trying to turn my attitude around.  And low and behold, the very next day several wonderful blessings just fell into place.  In fact, these blessings were things for which I did not ask.  But God put these things into place anyway and many of my problems, not all, but many, were taken care of.  I truly believe that this is yet another example for me of God blessing my wife and I for our devotion to Him AT ALL TIMES, good or bad.

    I want to share that with you but I want to make sure you understand that it's not easy to let go like that.  It's a lot easier when things go bad to question God's motives and be angry with Him.  But that will get you absolutely nowhere.  If you believe and trust God when he blesses you and things are good, why wouldn't you do that when things go wrong and you are hurting?  Plus, you will not be able to see through all the "junk" and locate the blessings in your life if you are not being realistic in your faith about how you must always believe, not just when things are good.

    Ever heard the term "fair weather friend"?  We all have, and we've all had these sorts of friends.  They are only around and supporting you when you're doing good.  The second things go bad, they split or run out on you because they are weak.  I don't want to be a fair weather believer.  I don't want God to see me as a fair weather friend of Christ.

    Praise God ALWAYS, and you will begin to see how it will work wonders for you.  This alone will breed the maturity in your walk with Christ that will not only allow you to fully reap the benefits of that developed relationship, but it will begin to groom you for being a truly believing witness. 

    Until tomorrow.

    Come Believe...