Blue Sky Praise


 

I’m the biggest culprit.

When I’m riding along on the crest of a wave I have no problems releasing spontaneous praise to God. When I’m convinced all’s well with my world and God’s in his heaven, it’s easy to feel a warm glow of thanksgiving. We can all relate to the song lyrics “blue skies smiling at me, nothing but blue skies do I see”.

Blue sky days or seasons in our lives summon up a sense of joyful gratitude. It’s pretty much a kneejerk reaction.

The trouble is it never takes long in the daily pulse of our lives before Mr Blue Sky becomes Stormy Monday, and on Monday praise comes, if at all, through gritted teeth.

God knows our scant reserves and threadbare gratitude can and do change overnight. Why else would he give us the book of Psalms to show us how to pray and praise, in all their earthy glory?

Why would the bible talk about a need for a ‘sacrifice of praise’ if God didn’t think it was worthwhile for us to offer up such a sacrifice?

Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God (Hebrews 13:15)

One who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me (Psalm 50:23)

We often use the word sacrifice to mean an onerous chore. Something we’d rather not do or give.

With God though a sacrifice of praise, even if offered up reluctantly, returns to us and builds us. In the praise are the seeds for growth and release.

It can make us aware that although yes, this or that situation is rubbish and not what I would wish for, I choose to state here and now that regardless of the blue skies or the stormclouds, God reigns and he sees the beginning from the end when I don’t.

So I force myself sometimes to give praise and give thanks when I don’t feel like it, when I’d rather wallow, as an act of will when everything in me wants to grumble.

Yes, as an act of sacrifice.

Comments

  1. UnknownMarch 10, 2021 at 6:33 AM

    I think choosing to praise him when it's costly is even more precious to God and as you say actually builds us up on the inside and releases blessing.

    ReplyDelete

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