Many times I have forced myself to do this very thing on
Sundays when my attitude is not right or I’ve had a bad week. And to my amazement it always works. It never
fails, when I come face to face with my King and my God, everything else
fades.
Sometimes, it is not a church day and I have nowhere to
go. I am learning that just because I
have nowhere to go does not mean I cannot enter His gates with
thanksgiving. Wherever I am, I can
welcome the Holy Spirit and I am there in His courts. Change comes when praise
is lifted. In the presence of God, everything fades.
Little things have been happening over the past weeks to
steal my joy. No electricity, no car, losing things, once a day, once a
week. Little foxes that want to destroy
the vine. I have decided to come into his
presence with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise and my attitude changes.
In prayer, God showed that my focus had shifted like Peter. When Peter came to
Jesus by walking on the sea, everything was fine until Peter’s focus shifted
from the master to the wind. Peter cried out and Jesus with stretched out hands
saved him. I like the fact that it doesn’t say that the winds stop, instead
Jesus reached out and took him out of the water. The wind was still there. Many times, the circumstances in our lives
will not change, the answers will not come yet He will still reach out His hand
and draw us close to Him. Intimacy sometimes is all we will need. In His presence there is fullness of joy and
when we enter His courts with praise, that’s His place of intimacy.
I also recently learned that obedience sometimes does not
guarantee a specific outcome. Sometimes
all God wants is our obedience. He says
do this and we do it period. Even when
things seem to blow up in your face and doubt wants to creep in, we have to be
certain obeying is better than sacrifice.
When we have that certainty, thanksgiving will be a lot easier.
Like the song says, “No
matter what you’re going thru, God is only using you for His glory.” Be
encouraged, God is with you and will never leave you.
