Praise Him even when you don’t feel like it.
Are you feeling down in the dumps today? I have struggled off and on for many years with feeling down and “blah”. I try to remember, though, that today is a gift from God. What am I going to do with it? Will I focus on my problems and complain about them? Or will I praise the Lord who gave me life?
We have a choice. We need to choose joy. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is our strength. (Neh.8:10 NLT) We are commanded by God to rejoice always (Philippians 4:4). We are not to obey his command only if we feel like it. Your life will be much more enjoyable, and you will have a better attitude if you focus on our mighty loving God instead of yourself. Even if you have pain in your body or heart, Jesus wants you to worship him.
One of my favorite songs talks about praising the Lord all day long. I learned it a long time ago when I was at university in Quebec, Canada. You can hear me sing it on the audio link to this devotion. The enemy doesn’t like to hang around when Jesus is being praised. Worship is a great way to beat back the darkness. Please try it with me today. Perhaps sing some songs you have learned at church. Look up the lyrics if you don’t remember them. Search worship songs with lyrics on YouTube and sing along. Don’t worry if you don’t have a great voice. The Bible says, “make a joyful noise unto the Lord” (Ps.100:1 KJV), not make a beautiful sound!
Throughout this Day: Read Psalm 100 aloud and praise the Lord by thanking him for each blessing He has given you.
Click here for the audio version of this devotional.
Photo Credit: Sergey Shmidt