Overcome With Praise
We overcome the world by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. I am going to focus on “the word of our testimony” in today’s Pearls. The true way we overcome any negative thought or word is with the praises of God on our lips, based on the Word of God. Have you ever said to someone: I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying what I wanted to say? Or how about this one: I had to bite my tongue when I knew what they were saying was wrong? I have been there and done that.
There is a far better approach to this. When you know that what someone is saying is wrong, first of all, you are not going to convince them that they are wrong. And, second, the Word of God says to avoid vain and foolish arguments. A better way is to praise God for the truth becoming reality in their lives, to think on the good things of how God’s Word of Truth will set them free.
And you may be thinking or even saying: Yes, Kialeen, that all sounds good but you don’t know them. No I don’t. But you don’t know the people I have encountered in those situations either. Neither you nor I am responsible for the way someone else thinks or speaks. We are responsible for our thoughts and our speech. As we praise God for these people and praise Him for the eyes of their understanding being enlightened, we are doing it God’s way. And it takes care of our attitudes and our way of thinking.
Praise sets the tone for the whole day for you and me. Suppose you get up in the morning and you start thinking on what somebody did to you that was not very nice. Or suppose your husband/wife snaps at you and is in a grumpy mood. Or suppose you go to work and the boss assigns you a task that he knows you don’t like. What an opportunity to praise God with your thoughts and your words. Praise will keep you free of the entanglements that satan likes to set up for you throughout the day. Praise will keep you free from strife and harsh words. Praise will keep your mind clean of the debris of having to be right about everything. Praise will keep you free of all that would cause upset in your life.
Praise is a wonderful tool that God Almighty gave us to combat the situations and circumstances that this world sets against us, that satan sets up for us, that our flesh wants to react to. No wonder the Bible tells us to praise Him in the morning, praise Him at noon, praise Him when the sun goes down. Praise Him all the time.
I have known some people in my lifetime who have praised their way through some very tough situations. I have known other people in the same type of situations who grumbled all the way. The first group of people came through to the other side without ulcers, worries, stress and defeat. The second group of people had a terrible time trying to get through. They got sick. They couldn’t sleep. They turned against other people and became bitter at God and the world. They came through, but with bad attitudes and with a chip on their shoulder that they just dared anyone to knock off.
Every day we all have these wonderful opportunities to get even, to be right, to lash out at the one who is nasty to us. And every day we have choices to make. Will we praise God and watch Him work on our behalf or will we grumble and complain and try to work it out ourselves.
In Psalm 33:1 in the Amplified Bible it says that praise is becoming and appropriate for those who are upright in heart. That means you and me, God’s righteous ones, who are born again. Psalm 34:1 says that I will bless the Lord at all times and His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
And here is the result of rejoicing lips and a joyful heart. In Psalm 5:11,12 we read: But let all those who put their trust in the Lord rejoice. Let them always sing and shout for joy. And look what happens here: The Lord defends them (makes a covering over them, protects them). Do you love His name? Be joyful and be in high spirits. The Lord will bless you and surround you with favor.
Let’s keep ourselves focused on what He does for us and not what others do to us.
There is a far better approach to this. When you know that what someone is saying is wrong, first of all, you are not going to convince them that they are wrong. And, second, the Word of God says to avoid vain and foolish arguments. A better way is to praise God for the truth becoming reality in their lives, to think on the good things of how God’s Word of Truth will set them free.
And you may be thinking or even saying: Yes, Kialeen, that all sounds good but you don’t know them. No I don’t. But you don’t know the people I have encountered in those situations either. Neither you nor I am responsible for the way someone else thinks or speaks. We are responsible for our thoughts and our speech. As we praise God for these people and praise Him for the eyes of their understanding being enlightened, we are doing it God’s way. And it takes care of our attitudes and our way of thinking.
Praise sets the tone for the whole day for you and me. Suppose you get up in the morning and you start thinking on what somebody did to you that was not very nice. Or suppose your husband/wife snaps at you and is in a grumpy mood. Or suppose you go to work and the boss assigns you a task that he knows you don’t like. What an opportunity to praise God with your thoughts and your words. Praise will keep you free of the entanglements that satan likes to set up for you throughout the day. Praise will keep you free from strife and harsh words. Praise will keep your mind clean of the debris of having to be right about everything. Praise will keep you free of all that would cause upset in your life.
Praise is a wonderful tool that God Almighty gave us to combat the situations and circumstances that this world sets against us, that satan sets up for us, that our flesh wants to react to. No wonder the Bible tells us to praise Him in the morning, praise Him at noon, praise Him when the sun goes down. Praise Him all the time.
I have known some people in my lifetime who have praised their way through some very tough situations. I have known other people in the same type of situations who grumbled all the way. The first group of people came through to the other side without ulcers, worries, stress and defeat. The second group of people had a terrible time trying to get through. They got sick. They couldn’t sleep. They turned against other people and became bitter at God and the world. They came through, but with bad attitudes and with a chip on their shoulder that they just dared anyone to knock off.
Every day we all have these wonderful opportunities to get even, to be right, to lash out at the one who is nasty to us. And every day we have choices to make. Will we praise God and watch Him work on our behalf or will we grumble and complain and try to work it out ourselves.
In Psalm 33:1 in the Amplified Bible it says that praise is becoming and appropriate for those who are upright in heart. That means you and me, God’s righteous ones, who are born again. Psalm 34:1 says that I will bless the Lord at all times and His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
And here is the result of rejoicing lips and a joyful heart. In Psalm 5:11,12 we read: But let all those who put their trust in the Lord rejoice. Let them always sing and shout for joy. And look what happens here: The Lord defends them (makes a covering over them, protects them). Do you love His name? Be joyful and be in high spirits. The Lord will bless you and surround you with favor.
Let’s keep ourselves focused on what He does for us and not what others do to us.
posted by Rev. Kialeen Potterton @ 7:13 PM
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