[APRIL 5] The Power of Praise

Read: Isaiah 61:1-3

"The Lord has anointed Me... to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning" 

--Isaiah 61:1,3

Praise is powerful! When Scottish pastor Robert Murray McCheyne was troubled with a coldness of heart toward the things of the Lord, he would sing the praises of God until he felt revived in his spirit. Those in his household were often able to tell what hour he awoke because he began the day with a psalm of praise.

One day, while he was trying to prepare his heart for preaching, he wrote in his journal: “Is it the desire of my heart to be made altogether holy?... Lord, You know all things.... I’ve felt so much deadness and grief that I cannot grieve for this deadness. Toward evening I revived. Got a calm spirit through [singing psalms] and prayer.” McCheyne had been uplifted by praising God.

Perhaps you feel as if you are mired in what John Bunyan called the “slough of despond.” Lift a song of praise to the Lord. The psalmist said, “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever” (89:1). When we do that, the praise will flow not only from our lips but also from our heart. The Lord delights to give “the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isa. 61:3).

Yes, “it is good to sing praises to our God”—at all times (Ps. 147:1). --Paul Van Gorder

Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven,

To His feet your tribune bring;

Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,

Evermore His praises sing. --Lyte

REFLECT ON THIS:

If you find yourself wearing a spirit of heaviness, try on a garment of praise.

[MARCH 15] Last Line of Defense

Read: Romans 8:31-39

"Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."

--Romans 8:37

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania was the site of a battle of America's Civil war. One of the focal points of the conflict was a rocky knoll called Little Round Top where Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and the men of the 20th Maine Infantry stood their ground. Had the Confederate troops gotten past Chamberlain's men, some historians believe the Union army would have been surrounded--possibly leading to the loss of the war. The "20th Maine" was the last line of defense.

Followers of Christ are also engaged in a vital war. As the battle "the wiles of the devil" (Eph.6:11), we are called to wear the armor of God and to stand firm in the conflict (vv.10-18).

And like Gettysburg soldiers, we have a "last line of defense." For us, though, this defense is greater than any human force. In Romans 8:31-39, Paul says that our ultimate confidence is in the undying love of Christ. So complete is our protection that nothing can "separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (v.39).

When the enemy seems overwhelming and all seems lost, remember, we have an unbeatable last line of defense: "We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (v.37). --Bill Crowder

We are more than conquerors

Through Him who loved us so;

The Christ who dwells within us

Is the greatest power we know. --Carmichael

REFLECT ON THIS:
God's plan always leads to victory.

[FEBRUARY 27] Strength in Weakness

Read: Matthew 20:20-28

"Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant" 

--Matthew 20:26

No one wants to be weak, so we find ways to appear strong. Some of us use the force of our emotions to manipulate people. Others use the force of personality to control people, and some use intellect to intimidate. Although these create an illusion of strength, they are signs of weakness.

When we are truly strong, we have the courage to admit our licomitations and to acknowledge our dependence on God. As a result, true strength often looks a lot like weakness. When the apostle Paul prayed that an affliction would be taken from him, God answered, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). Paul responded with these troubling words: “When I am weak, then I am strong” (v.10).

Toward the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, some of His disciples were striving for positions of prominence. Jesus used their argument as an opportunity to teach them that in His kingdom things are different: greatness comes when we willingly assume positions of weakness (Matt. 20:26).

This is a hard truth. I prefer the illusion of strength to the reality of weakness. But God wants us to realize that true strength comes when we stop trying to control people and start serving them instead. --Julie Ackerman Link

The life that we live for God's glory,
Let's live it in biblical light:
God's strength is made perfect in weakness;
He alone controls power and might. --Branon

REFLECT ON THIS:
God’s greatest power can be displayed in our biggest weakness.