Psalm 66:8-9, “Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.”
Too often, we fall under the false illusion that we need to make every moment count and not waste the day God has given us. We work ourselves ragged trying to “please” the Father with works but wind up doing more harm than good to our bodies AND our callings! Through stress, constant pressure, and high expectations, we shift our focus off Yeshua, putting our lives and work center stage. This doesn’t mean we should avoid dreaming big or striving to achieve what God has called us to do; however, unless He is at the forefront of our lives, we’ll find ourselves skating on dull blades, slipping and sliding with no grip to keep us upright.
This month was so intense that I found it hard to remain balanced as my responsibilities stacked up, and the pressure I put on myself stole my peace. It wasn’t until a dear family friend suddenly passed away that I realized how temporary our lives are. We’re only on this earth for a short time, so it’s understandable to want to do as much as possible, but is that how God wants us to use this time? I don’t think so.
The Father’s greatest desire is to be praised and glorified through all we do! It doesn’t matter how many things we manage to do in the day, the Lord looks at the fruit of our hearts, so unless we do each task in worship to Him, nothing else matters!
I’m so inspired by my mom’s spiritual mother, Royal, who always knows how to lift a shout of praise to the Lord, no matter the circumstances. When her husband, Brian, died this month, my family was heartbroken and called to comfort Royal; however, rather than expressing great sorrow for her sudden loss, Royal glorified God for His plans and thanked Him for giving Brian a rest before joining Him in eternity! Royal is the ultimate example of Psalm 150:6, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!”
Hearing Royal sing her catchphrase — “Praise the Lord” — awakened my heart and restored the energy I’d been missing. With my blades sharpened, I felt confident returning to the ice (my tasks) and glided through the rink with ease. Since that day, whenever I have felt overwhelmed or tired, I take a moment to praise the Lord and lift a song of worship to Him. Feeling the Holy Spirit come into the room and hear my prayer, I release the pressure I wasn’t meant to be carrying and feel His peace wash over me, giving me a newfound motivation to return to work.
“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” ~ 2 Chronicles 16:9
The Lord knows the things we need to get done, but unless we take time to sharpen our blades (setting our hearts on Yeshua and praising Him), we’ll spend most of the day flapping our arms for balance.
Have you sharpened your blades before getting on the ice today? It’s not too late to stop and PRAISE THE LORD!
“Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!” ~ Psalms 66:16-20
