Are You Ready for Winter and Prepare

Phil 4:11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:

:12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Living in south Louisiana, our winters are usually pretty mild compared to the northern states. But sometimes we get snow, or a few days of ice. We don’t have the equipment to clear the roads or the chains for our tires because it is not something that happens often. We are not prepared to drive on icy roads or in heavy snow. All the more reason we need to be ready for winter. Everything comes to a stop when we have those conditions.

You can have winters in your spiritual life also. We need to be prepared for those also.  These times can leave us discouraged, lonely, and depressed.

Some things can make our spiritual winters very intense.

1.       The cold air of the world.

While going through trials we sometimes leave our guard down. That makes it easy for worldly influences to take over in our lives. Just like cold air finds cracks around windows and doors, worldy friends, music and thinking can find the cracks in our lives. We must use God’s Word to seal up the cracks.

Ps 119:11 Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.

2.       Icicles of cold attitudes

During winter the dark, dreary days can cause us to develop icicle attitudes. We get cranky, complain about everyone and everything.

Sometimes during a trial we are the same way. We don’t fellowship to help encourage ourselves through our trial, no one wants to be around us anyway, right? No one else can fix our bad attitude, only we can. It’s not easy. The weight of ‘the ice’ is bearing down on us. Take a step back and remember who God is and who we are not.

Ps 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

3.       The blizzards of circumstances

Blizzards are devastating when they come. Circumstances in our lives can be also. Bills, sickness or death of a loved one, relationships, and many other things can weigh us down. We can’t see ahead. Remember God knows what is ahead. He’s the potter, we are the clay.

Job 23:10 But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.

4.       Jack frost of depression

Better bundle up because if you are going through a trial, depression is going to come nipping at you sooner or later. While we are in the midst of the trial, sometimes it is easy to just let it nip at us. There is no easy way out of depression. But keeping our lives lined up with God can help guard against it. Regular devotions and time with God each day can go a long way in dealing with it.

Ps 55:17 Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice.

As Christians we need to prepare for winter, just as we need to prepare our homes for winter.

Winter Emergency Kit

1.       Non Perishable Food – Scripture

Memorize scripture so you have it when you need it.

2.       Extra blankets and warm clothing – fellowship

Spend time with other Christians. We need their love, support, and prayers.

3.       Drinking water – Christ the Living Water

We need Christ and His word to live. Drink in His love, promises, blessings, and strength.

4.       Emergency flashlights and candles – God’s guidance

God’s guidance is our light source. We need God’s guidance and leading daily. Stay sensitive to God’s leading and He will keep us going in the right direction and help us to see more clearly.

Amos 4:7 “I also withheld rain from you, when there were still three months to the harvest. I made it rain on one city, I withheld rain from another city. One part was rained upon, and where it did not rain the part withered.

:8 So two or three cities wandered to another city to drink water, but they were not satisfied; yet you have not returned to Me,” says the Lord.

:9 “I blasted you with blight and mildew. When your gardens increased, your vineyards, your fig trees, and your olive trees, the locust devoured them; yet you have not returned to Me,” says the Lord.

:10 “I sent among you a plague after the manner of Egypt; your young men I killed with a sword, along with your captive horses; I made the stench of your camps come up into your nostrils; yet you have not returned to Me,” says the Lord.

:11 “I overthrew some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were3 like a firebrand plucked from the burning; yet you have not returned to Me,” says the Lord.

:12 “Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!”

:13 For behold He who forms mountains, and creates the wind, who declares to man what his thought is, and makes the morning darkness, who treads the high places of the earth – the Lord God of hosts is His name.

The Word tells us that death is not the end of our existence. We are assured that everyone will stand before Christ, believers for their works, and nonbelievers for their rejection of Him.

Joh 5:25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.

:26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself,

:27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.

:28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice

:29 and come forth – those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

Rev 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.

:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.

:13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.

:14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death,

:15 and anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

We are all sinners in need of forgiveness. Only Christ’s death on the cross provides that for those who believe.

Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Bible says:

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.

Unity and Burdens

Eph 2:11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh – who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands –

:12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

:14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,

:15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,

:16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.

:17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.

:18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

:19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.

:20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone,

:21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,

:22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

When the early church tried to build walls between the Jews and the non-Jews Paul told them through Christ, they were equal in the family of God.

Through His death on the cross, Christ has removed the barriers that so often separate people and has drawn us together in true friendship and love.

Gal 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Bearing each other’s burdens is a big part of life as a Christian.

We all have burdens sometimes. We may not all have the same type of burdens but we all face them at one time or another.

B = brunt

E = empathy

A = afflictions

R = responsibilities

1.       Bear the brunt

Have you ever had a burden so heavy it made you weak in the knees? It’s like that when you are going through a trial, especially at first. You feel the full force at the beginning of the trial. You just want a little weight off your shoulders.

Doing any little thing to help can take the brunt of the impact off of the person. Helping to remove unnecessary weight can ease some of the impact. Act as a shield, soften the blow.

2.       Bear with empathy.

Empathy is understanding how someone feels and when they are going through something they want someone who understands.

Sometimes they just need someone to listen. Sometimes they need a hug or hand to hold.

Someone to tell them things will get better. When people are hurting, they just want to know someone is there and that they care.

3.       Bear up afflictions.

Afflictions are things that hurt to go through. People are vulnerable when they are hurting and their defenses are down. They need lifting up. Pray for them. Lift them up to the Lord. Encourage them.

4.       Bear the responsibilities.

When you are the person hurting, you aren’t in a vacuum. Life goes on. You are in a slow pace mode but everything else is moving as normal.

Some things can slide. Others can’t. what can you do to help?

Learn from Pooh and Piglet:

“I don’t feel very much like Pooh today,” said Pooh.

“There there , “ said Piglet. “I’ll bring you tea and honey until you do.”

Not at this time and Discretion

Rom 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

:34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His  counselor?

:35 Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?”

:36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever, Amen.

12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

When a new writer is trying to get something published for the first time, they often get letters saying “not at this time”. Sometimes that really means “or ever.”

When worry comes knocking at our door, we need to remind ourselves: “Worry does not meet my needs at this time – or ever. I need to trust God. I will be anxious for nothing!”

Phil 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made know to God;

Pr 11:22 As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a lovely woman who lacks discretion.

Discretion means cautious in our decisions.

Let’s look at some areas discretion is important.

1.       Communication

Everything we say has an impact.

James 3:5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles.

:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.

2.       Dress

As a Christian woman we need to be discreet. We must not be immodest.

1 Cor 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own.

:20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

1 Tim 2:9 in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing.

3.       Worldly things

1 Tim 5:22 Do not lay hands on anyone hastily nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure.

1 Thess 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

Pr 4:14 Enter not the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

:15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

When we get off track in not having wisdom and discretion in our daily decisions and don’t base them on Godly principles found in God’s Word, it will have an impact on us. We will start losing perspective of right and wrong. It will affect our relationship with the Lord and soon we will be back in the world.

The journal I use to do my bible study has verses on each page. Starting today I will start adding them at the end of my study.

Is 43:1 Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Gal 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance…

Pr 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.

Rom 10:9 If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Matt 22:37-38 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.

Teach your children, and Frog

Deut 6:1 Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess,

:2 that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.

:3 Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you – “a land flowing with milk and honey:

:4 “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one!

:5 You shall love the Lord your God with all you heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

:6And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.

:7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

:8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

:9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

My 2 year old grandson is learning the ABC’s in English, Spanish, Korean and sign language. He can recite quite a few on his own. He is also learning to count in those languages and can count to 15 in English on his own. He can count to various numbers in the others.

If he can learn those things at 2, doesn’t it show the importance of teaching children the right things early on?

Pr 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding:

FROG – Fully rely on God

To fully rely on God is a big thing to us as Christians. When we give our lives to Him, He is in control and we need to fully rely on Him.

Fully means to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely.

Rely means depend on with full trust or confidence.

I know I’m far from fully relying on God as I should, but as I started thinking about this I started reflecting about God and who He is. That alone makes me want to rely on Him more.

We need to get to know God better. There are several things about God that help us on our journey to rely on Him more.

1.       God’s strength

God’s strength is one of those things that we need the most and have to rely on the Lord for in our lives. Our own strength won’t get us very far, but His will.

Phil 4:13 I can do all things though Christ who strengthens me.

Eph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Is 12:2 Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation;

Much is said about Samson’s strength, but he didn’t take those pillars down alone. He asked God to give him the strength to do it.

Judges 16:28 Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!
:29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars which supported the temple, and he braced himself against them, one of his right and the other on his left.

:30 Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life.

David prayed for God’s strength also.

Ps 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Ps 138:3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul.

Israel needed God’s strength.

Is 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

2.       God’s love.

It’s this love that brought us to Christ in the first place.

Rom 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Jer 31:3 The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying, “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.

When we know someone loves us it helps us to trust them and rely on them.

3.       God’s Word

We never have to worry about God breaking His Word.

Ps 119:89 Forever, O Lord, Your Word is settled in heaven.

4.       God’s faithfulness

It’s easy to trust someone who is faithful.

Ps 119:90 You faithfulness endures to all generations; You established the earth, and it abides.

Knowing He’s always going to be faithful makes me want to trust Him more.

5.       God’s wisdom

God knows what He’s doing.

1 Tim 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Rom 11:33 Oh, the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

Burnt and Let Go

1 Cor 3:5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?

:6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

:7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

:8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

:9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, you are God’s building.

:10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.

:11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

:12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,

:13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.

:14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.

:15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

When we stand before Him, we will give an account as to whether or not we lived in ways that were consistent with His will.

Things we do to advance His kingdom will survive the fire. Anything we do to advance ourselves won’t.

Lk 9:62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back  is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Have you seen the movie “Frozen”? Or have you heard the song from the movie “Let it go”?

There are things in our lives we need to let go of.

1.       The past

Some have a hard time letting go of the past. God has forgiven it so grab hold of the future and press on because carrying around your past will slow you down every time.

Phil 3:13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.

:14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Remember Paul’s past? He tortured Christians among other things.

Paul had a lot of past to let go of. If he had continued to carry his past with him, he never would have accomplished so much for Christ.

2.       Relationships

It’s sad to have to let go of relationships, but sometimes it’s necessary.

Ask yourself how do your friends influence you?

Pr 4:14 Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil.

:15 Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn away from it and pass on.

2 Cor 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

:15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?

3.       Anxieties

I struggle with anxiety sometimes. It’s probably more of a control thing. I like when I can control things and you can’t control everything in life. That’s when the anxiety creeps in. I have to let it go and give it to Jesus.

1 Pet 5:7 Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Ps 55:22 Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

4.       Bitterness

This is a hard one. It can cause you to stagnate in your walk with the Lord.

Eph 4:31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.

Bitterness makes people angry. It causes ugly words to be said.

Instead:

Eph 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Some of us have a problem of holding on to the wrong things. No one else can let go of these things for you. You have to do it yourself. Those things may be the things mentioned above or other things such as guilt, hurt feelings, or resentment.

Bad to Worse, Fruit of the Spirit

Ex 5:1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: ‘ Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’”

:2 And Pharaoh  said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.”

:3 So they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go three days’ journey into the desert and sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.”

:4 Then the King of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people from their work? Get back to your labor.”

:5 And Pharaoh said, “Look the people of the land are many now, and you make them rest from their labor!”

:6 So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying,

:7” You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.

:8 And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, “Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

:9 Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it and let them not regard false words.”

:10 And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out and spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says’ Pharaoh: ‘ I will not give you straw:

:11 Go, get yourselves straw where you can find it; yet none of your work will be reduced.”

:12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.

:13 And the taskmasters forced them to hurry, saying, “Fulfill your work, your daily quota as when there was straw.’”

:14 Also the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and today, as before?

:22 So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me?

:23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.”

Ex 6:6 Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.

When God sent Moses to rescue Israel from slavery, things went from bad to worse. It needed to be done. They had been crying out to the Lord to help them.

Ex 2:23 Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of their bondage.

Moses agreed reluctantly to go speak to Pharaoh. Only after a lot more trouble for a lot of people did Pharaoh agree.

When we set out to do something good, even when we are certain that God wants us to do it, we shouldn’t be surprised when the situation gets worse before it gets better.

It doesn’t mean we are doing something wrong. It reminds us that we need God to accomplish everything and that the devil is trying to stop us.

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

:23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

The choices we make in life help form how we turn out in the end.

1.       What are we immersed in? Is it the love of God? Have we spent time with the Lord before we go out and about our day or are we having bad attitudes and hateful temperments?

Do you get calloused? Do you say ugly words? Get grumpy?

Eph 4:31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.

:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

2.       Do we get so angry we get a red face and smoke billowing out our ears. There are many verses about anger.

Eph 4:26 Be angry, and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your wrath.

3.       Are you discouraged?

It’s easy to get that way. We all have times we get down, but we must work on not allowing ourselves to stay down. Reach out to the Lord to get back up, find joy in Him. We must rely on His strength and not our own.

Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

4.       Do we allow the world to affect us? Do we need to change our choice of TV shows, books, magazines, or friends?

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

We are to be Christ-like.

Righteous Judge and Praise

Ps 96:1 Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth.

:2 Sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.

:3 Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.

:4 For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.

:5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.

:6 Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

:7 Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples; give to the Lord glory and strength.

:8 Give to the Lord glory due His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts.

:9 Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth.

:10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns; the world also is firmly established. It shall not be moved; He shall judge the peoples righteously”.

:11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and all it’s fullness;

:12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord.

:13 For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with His truth.

God judges according to righteousness, defined by His own perfect justice and flawless character.

2 Cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

We can trust God now when life seems unfair, knowing that He will one day6 make all things right in His final court.

Heb 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

Giving praise to the Lord is one of the best ways to say thanks to God for His many blessings, yet how many do it on a regular basis? We go through the routine of thanking Him for our food, sometimes for other things. But do we honestly offer the sacrifice of praise as the verse says?

Continually means repeated without interruption.

Ps 34:1 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Ps 119:62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, because of Your righteous judgments.

When is the last time we were up at midnight praising God?

Praising God is an active thing.

Ps 32:11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice you righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Ps 47:1 O clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph!

Ps 47:6 Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!

Ps 98:4 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice and sing praises.

Ps 134:2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.

Ps 150:3 Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; praise Him with the lute and harp!

Ps 150:5 Praise Him with loud cymbals; praise Him with clashing cymbals!

If we are going to develop a lifestyle of praise to God continually we need to put things in perspective. Realize who God is and who we are not.

Ps 100:3 Know the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and we not ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

PRAISE

P – Praise God because He is powerful.

Neh 1:10 Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand.

R – Righteousness

Ps 36:6 Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep; O Lord, You preserve man and beast.

A – Able

Eph 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly above all that we are or think, according to the power that works in us.

I – Infinite

Rom 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

:34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?

:35 Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?”

:36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

S – Strength

2 Sam 22:33

God is my strength and power, and He makes my way perfect.

E – Everlasting

Is 9:6 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.