Praise

Praise

This morning I choose my Portmerion cup and saucer for breakfast.  The creamy white china with a perky spray of pink and rose diantus flowers is both dainty and pretty.  I pour hot, dark Irish Breakfast tea into the cup.  Although not visible in the picture, delicate, undulating wisps of steam spiral upward.  The graceful swirls of vapor dance as they lift heavenward.  I believe they are rising in praise to their Creator.  The swiftly-fading beauty of that white mist is, I'm sure, pleasing to the Father who made it. 

I delight in knowing that the smallest and seemingly insignificant detail upon this earth is neither of those things.  Would that I would be as faithful as those tiny fingers of steam lifting heavenward throughout their entire existence. 

This is also a picture of the impermanence of our life on earth, as well.  In scripture we read, "For what is your life?  It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" James 4:14.  While that might sound a bit morbid, it's really not.  We are simply being reminded that life on this spinning ball is very brief in comparison with the unending eternity that we will experience when our earthly life ends. 

So - it behooves us (nifty word, isn't it?!) to glorify and praise our Creator while our temporary mist swirls and spins down our earthly path, because the best of life doesn't begin until we reach the other side - and "only what's done for Christ will last."

A Shepherd Boy

A Shepherd Boy

Earlier in the spring, I visited the historic Hunter House in Norfolk.  It's a beautiful late 1800s house with adorable nooks and crannies - and some nice fireplace art too.  The picture above shows a carved insert above a tile fireplace in the home's elegant dining room.  The shepherd boy in the picture reminds me of David in the Bible.  In fact, that was very likely what the artist had in mind.

The whole story of David's life - from start to finish - is an impactful picture of what God can do in a life that is dedicated to Him.  From the time he was a young boy working in his father's pastures, David wrote poetry and songs of praise to His heavenly Father.  Psalm 23 mirrors what David did for his sheep and what God did for Him (and still does for us every day).  "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters...."

David probably spent weeks at a time in the fields and pastures, caring for great herds of sheep.  As he faithfully cared for the animals and observed nature around him, he grew closer and closer to the great God who created it all.  His many wonderful Psalms are eloquent testimony to relationship and reverence for the Almighty.

  --"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?"
  --"When you said, 'Seek My face,' My heart said to You, 'Your face, Lord, I will seek.'"
  --"You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance."
  --"Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!"

Even as David fulfilled the job of shepherd boy, he had no idea that someday he would be king of God's people.  Indeed, on the day Samuel arrived to anoint one of Jessie's eight sons, no one even considered calling David from the fields -- until.... there were no sons left to choose from.  That's when the prophet Samuel said to send for the boy, because they would not sit down to eat until he came.  When David arrived, the Lord said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!"

I love the song by Ray Blotz and Steve Millikan, entitled Shepherd Boy.  The chorus repeats this heart-warming phrase, "But when others see a shepherd boy, God may see a king."

One of the wonderful lessons from that story is that we don't have to be the biggest or the best or the most educated or the richest - or any superlative you might think of.  God can and does use ordinary people to do His extraordinary work on this earth every single day.  What a joy and honor to be used of Almighty God to perform some work for Him. 

I love the verse in Philippians, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" 4:13.

Rejoicing with Song

 Rejoicing with Song

Recently, my devotional reading in Jesus Calling has been so on-target for my needs.  No surprise since Jesus has a way of making anything around us personally relevant to our particular needs.  Such faithfulness from Him draws praise and thanksgiving from us.  Here is a verse that brought a smile to my face and warmth to my heart:

"The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing" Zephaniah 3:17.  He will rejoice over me with singing -- How very special!!

The Photo above shows angels surrounding Jesus Christ in heavenly places.  They are all in positions of praise to Him.  We are told in scripture that the angels are in constant praise to King Jesus.  The photo above was taken in the Church of the Spilt Blood in St. Petersburg, Russia and is done totally in mosaics.

God rejoices over us - and in return, as so many verses in Psalm testify, we should also rejoice over Him:

 "Shout joyfully to the Lord all the earth" 100:1
 "The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly" 118:15
 "Sing aloud to God our strength; make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob. Raise a song and strike the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the lute" 81:1-2

 

This picture is also a mosaic in the same church.  It depicts an angel praising God as described by Isaiah when he told of his vision of heaven.  He wrote:  "I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings; with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!'" 6:1-3.

 

The angel mosaic is a lovely, powerful depiction of that vision of a scene that takes place in heaven on a daily basis.

 

Although we are not yet in heavenly places with the ability to praise God in complete perfection, we can and should offer frequent praise to our great, loving, gracious Father, Son and Spirit - the God who is always with us, hearing our every thought, and caring for our every need.  All praise King Jesus!  Blessed be the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen!