03/08/2011 - RIGHT DECISION

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I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Psalm 34:1

There are times when everything in our life unfolds in a peaceful manner. So, thinking that this can last forever, many people do not see the need to seek the Lord. The truth is that he who does so does not realize that he is deceiving himself. If, at the time of sowing, he does not throw his seed on the ground, then when it\’s time for the harvest, he has nothing to gather. Are you going through a period of quiet and calm? Good! Even so, be wise and make sure you seek the Truth (Luke 12:31).
Obviously, tribulations can befall anyone and nobody enjoys being surrounded by them. But some people rebel against the Most High in times of trouble. However, the verse above states that at all times we should praise our God for what He has done for us because undoubtedly the hardships will be stronger for those who do not.
To praise the Lord is to extol His qualities; it is to speak of what He has done for our lives. An important fact to point out is that when we worship God, our spirit is taught about what He can do for us. On the other hand when we do not praise the Almighty we do not understand God\’s will for us.
No one can follow two paths simultaneously. Likewise, it is not possible to praise the Lord and complain at the same time because God is not pleased with those who are always whining and speaking evil of others (Romans 1:30-32). The enemy – who is aware of this fact – does his best to make people start complaining. The worst thing is that many do not know that it causes them to depart from the Lord. That\’s what the Israelites did in the desert and caused the Lord to be greatly upset with them (Numbers 14:2-11).
My brother, it does not matter if life is going well or not, the secret is to put praise in your mouth. If you do that, you will find out that your pain is not as strong as it seems; that the enemy is not as confident as he
makes you think he is and evil cannot defeat the faith you have. Praise disconnects you from oppression and connects you to the Lord. When the Israelites praised God before the children of Ammon, Moab, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir, the Lord entered the battle and gave them deliverance (II Chronicles 20:21-22).
So from now on, worship the Name of God! Open your mouth and praise Him continually, because that is what will give you victory. Make the Most High rejoice in you, after all, the joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10 b)!
In Christ with love,
R. R. Soares