May 2
"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." - Hebrews 13:15-16 (NIV)
Sometimes we wake up in the morning and say "What a good morning! Other days, however, we wake up and moan "Oh God, it's morning!" What was your experience this morning? How did you greet this new day? The tone of our greeting usually influences what kind of a day it turns out to be. Do we want a good or bad day to emerge? If so, we can all take a minute, pause, reflect, and take the Psalmist's advice to "offer a sacrifice of praise" with the "fruit" of our lips. It is definitely a sacrifice to offer praise to God when immersed in an attitude of baditude. Yet if our lips can offer the fruit of gratitude, then our whole perspective will change. This new perspective will then allow goodness and blessings to flow. Or as the scripture says, "God inhabits the praises of his people".
Praise is saying "thank you" for each aspect of God's nature and every beautiful gift in his amazing creation. Our inward attitude then becomes an outward expression transforming all around us. When praising God, you help yourself by expanding awareness of who God is and what he has created. If struggling for something to praise God about, look outside at the fresh beauty of a new May day with flowers appearing, birds singing, and trees blossoming. Yet, in a typical day, how many times do we hear God's name used profanely? You have the power to change that sad fact by praising God early in the day and at the end as life winds down. Offering God a continual sacrifice of praise also includes acts of kindness and sharing as they are particularly pleasing to God, even if unnoticed. God notices and will reward you accordingly with joy and a successful day!
Prayer: God, Thank you for the privilege of Praise! Amen.
Meditation For The Day: Praise always illuminates. Complaining just aggravates.
Brief Devotions For Busy Lives: Daily Spring Renewal Paperback – February 21, 2017, by Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson (Author)
From Pastor Sharon - Sorry for not posting yesterday. The May 1 devotion can be found on our blog. Just click on the "B" below.
"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." - Hebrews 13:15-16 (NIV)
Sometimes we wake up in the morning and say "What a good morning! Other days, however, we wake up and moan "Oh God, it's morning!" What was your experience this morning? How did you greet this new day? The tone of our greeting usually influences what kind of a day it turns out to be. Do we want a good or bad day to emerge? If so, we can all take a minute, pause, reflect, and take the Psalmist's advice to "offer a sacrifice of praise" with the "fruit" of our lips. It is definitely a sacrifice to offer praise to God when immersed in an attitude of baditude. Yet if our lips can offer the fruit of gratitude, then our whole perspective will change. This new perspective will then allow goodness and blessings to flow. Or as the scripture says, "God inhabits the praises of his people".
Praise is saying "thank you" for each aspect of God's nature and every beautiful gift in his amazing creation. Our inward attitude then becomes an outward expression transforming all around us. When praising God, you help yourself by expanding awareness of who God is and what he has created. If struggling for something to praise God about, look outside at the fresh beauty of a new May day with flowers appearing, birds singing, and trees blossoming. Yet, in a typical day, how many times do we hear God's name used profanely? You have the power to change that sad fact by praising God early in the day and at the end as life winds down. Offering God a continual sacrifice of praise also includes acts of kindness and sharing as they are particularly pleasing to God, even if unnoticed. God notices and will reward you accordingly with joy and a successful day!
Prayer: God, Thank you for the privilege of Praise! Amen.
Meditation For The Day: Praise always illuminates. Complaining just aggravates.
Brief Devotions For Busy Lives: Daily Spring Renewal Paperback – February 21, 2017, by Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson (Author)
From Pastor Sharon - Sorry for not posting yesterday. The May 1 devotion can be found on our blog. Just click on the "B" below.
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