Wednesday, October 12, 2011

The Joy of Praise

I often think about home. I don’t mean where I grew up when I was a child. When I talk about home, I am talking about heaven…my final home. I dream of it and wonder just what it might be like. I long for the streets of gold and the tree of life…where I can’t wait to meet my lovely grandmother Bowser, embrace her, and whisper in her ear again the words, “I love you.” Sometimes I just close my eyes for long periods of time when all is quiet around me and imagine the day I will meet my best friend and Savior Jesus. What I would hear, what I would smell, see, touch and taste? It makes me happy, brings joy, and a smile upon my face. I always have something good to look forward to each day.

But some days when joy eludes my restless soul, because of circumstances which surround me… my mind jumps off track and I become derailed.  I forget the hope of heaven and become swept up in a tornado of emotions I would rather not have and choices I wish I didn’t have to make. Sometimes the trials of life are so burdensome, I will actually ask the Lord, “Could you just come today?”

It is in these times of crisis I crave a little quiet, close my eyes, and think about my Abba. I just crawl up into His lap and sit awhile with Him. His embrace is the best bear hug I’ve ever had…his gentleness is most amazing. The tears flow without a word spoken from my lips and somehow I am reassured all is well because my God still sits on the throne. I am soothed by the whispers of the Holy Spirit which bids me to turn my eyes to Jesus and remind me how sweet it is to trust in His name. Praise begins to utter from my lips and the problems that just moments ago seemed so great are now pushed to the background. I become reassured God will take care of all my needs. My hands then feel the leather of the book upon my lap…God’s word…the Bible…rests on the creases of my clothes. I open purposely to the Psalms. These precious words of song and poetry lift my soul even more and my voice breaks out with song unto the Lord.


“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to
God a sacrifice of praise
the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.”

~Hebrews 13:15