Summer or Winter, Praise the Lord

I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.  My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.  O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.  -Psalm 34:1-3 (KJV) 

I recall last summer writing in my blog about the heat wave we were experiencing at the time.  Even as I was writing that particular blog I knew in the back of my mind that colder weather was waiting just around the corner.  I am not sure where you are right now as you read this, but winter has arrived, and here in southwest Virginia it’s cold and I mean downright cold.  I just came in from a brisk evening walk with our dog, Ada, and “brisk” is the operative word.  The temperature was a cool 19 degrees and with the wind blowing it was easily pushed down into the single digits.  Despite the cold, Ada and I enjoyed our walk thoroughly.  What a wonderful night to breathe the cold air and praise the Lord for His strength and peace in my life. 

Something I have been learning over the years is the peace that comes from praising the Lord in all circumstances.  Regardless of the problems I am facing, giving thanks to God is a wonderful resource for finding joy even in the midst of those trials.  King David was a man who put this attitude into practice throughout his life and doing so made a powerful difference.  He resolved that he would praise the Lord at all times.  Such an attitude empowers us to see past the problems to the one who is able to bring us through them.  The Lord doesn’t just get us through, but by faith in Jesus Christ we can walk forward in victory.  

 

Sunshine, cold weather, rain, or snow, we are called to have God’s praises on our lips at all times.  You probably encounter people who complain when the weather is hot, and then they moan in the winter about how cold they are.  Faith in the Lord Jesus helps us to be thankful at all times; “His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” That is a word from the Lord that makes me want to shout His praises.  Blessed be the name of the Lord!  A thankful heart is a joyful and peaceful heart.

As you go throughout your day, stop and give thanks to God.  We have many blessing for which we can be thankful.  Stop and count them, pray for strength in the trials you are facing, and praise the Lord that He knows and will help you through and on to victory.  Look up, be thankful, and be glad, for Jesus Christ has overcome the world.   

Through Jesus we have the victory.