PRAISE AND BELIEF GO HAND IN HAND

PRAISE AND BELIEF GO HAND IN HAND

"I promise to value praise more than before. Praise is the natural
outgrowth of trust. The one who truly believes will automatically praise
God. Before, I thought praise should come AFTER the act was done. I
asked, God answered, so I praised. This is weak, sickly praise. Jesus
thanked His Father BEFORE He raised Lazarus. I should look at problems,
difficulties, impossibilities, and then praise God AHEAD OF TIME for the
opportunity of glorifying His name. If Romans 8:28 is still in the
Bible, and believable, then praise should characterize my life.

Difficulties, to the Christian, are only miracles that have not yet
happened. Faith cannot tell time very well. To say we should praise only
after the miracle has occurred makes no sense to faith. Faith means God
WILL just as us as God HAS. So if I am to always believe, then I should
always praise, since perfect trust eliminates worry and anxiety and
fills me with good feelings.

To live a life of praise, I must thank God FOR evil circumstances as
well as to thank Him WHEN I am in evil circumstances. The difference is
whether or I am going to endure evil or make it a vehicle of blessing.
The Bible tells me that God is not complacent about evil, but He uses it
for a greater good.

When God surrounds me with harassments, He is preparing me for a
breakthrough TO victory and growth that He could not accomplish in any
other way. So, in a sense, evil circumstances are my FRIENDS and I
should welcome them as much a David welcomed the lion and the bear,
which made him ready for Goliath. If I welcome them, I will praise; and
if I praise, they are not longer my enemies but my conquests. Therefore
as James advises, I will 'rejoice and jump for joy' when surrounded by
impossibilities." (James 1:2)

Good words for you to ponder today. I am thankful that God knows WHAT I
need precisely WHEN I need to hear it. Today's devotional is from DAILY
WITH THE KING by Dr. Evans and is available from the KESWICK ONLINE
BOOKSTORE (www.americaskeswick.org)

Have a blessed day, my friend.