The monster at the end of this post

{Note:  This post has been written with one specific person in mind.  I know, I know…it is kinda rude…but it is needed here, folks…believe me.  It’s something that needs to be said and I’ve decided to use one whole post to just, well, get it out there.  I’m just hoping that the one that this is intended for is reading today.  I did send out an email, to try to make sure you are!  😉  Everyone else:  Please feel free to read along, if you’d like…}

Today I finished reading through the Psalms…again. 🙂  Oh how I love the Psalms!  (Have I ever mentioned that before?! 😉 )

The book of Psalms is full of the cries, prayers and praises of King David.   And it ends with one big grand finale of “Praise ye the LORDs”.

“Praise ye the LORD.  Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints…

Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.”

I have to admit I really needed that reminder this morning…and yesterday…and the day before that…and the day…oh my…

Please tell me why I forget this simple truth so easily??  why?!

Seriously, who doesn’t have A LOT to thank and praise the Lord for??  (I’m covering my eyes right now, because I just can’t bear to think that anyone would actually raise a hand right there…).  Even in the midst of hard times, there are so many things to thank the Lord for!  Amen?!

I remember several years ago (I believe it was soon after my dad had suddenly passed away from a massive heart attack), I was writing in my journal and I was “bemoaning my fate” on those poor pages.  I’m sure I was waxing eloquent, too.  sigh.

But in the midst of my grumbling, one small thing, a single thought, of something that I should be thankful for peeked its tiny, little head up, waved its little hand at me, and with wide eyes and a big smile said, “Hey!  Remember me??”  It was a much needed sweet nudge by my Lord…a little “yoo hoo! look over here!”…to shift my mind and thoughts off of the things that were bothering me and getting me down, to something small, something to thank the Lord for.  And you know what happened after that?!  Thankfulness just started tumbling out on the page – one thing right after the other!  The same pen that had been belching sadness and despair all over that page, now had thankfulness and rejoicing flowing from it.  And guess what happened after that??  (No, my problems didn’t suddenly disappear!)  But!  My mood was lifted and I could even look at the thing that was bothering me, and trust the Lord to take care of it.

As I’m typing about that journal entry, II Chronicles 20 comes to my mind.  Judah was being invaded by Moab.  Verse 3 tells us that the king Jehoshaphat was afraid and “set himself to seek the LORD.”  I love his prayer in verse 12 – “O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.”  The following verses give us God’s reply to this plea from the king.  God tells them they will nave no need to fight; the battle was His.  All they had to do was to stand still and see the salvation of the LORD.  After this declaration, Jehoshaphat and the people fall on their faces before the LORD and worshipped Him.  (Isn’t that awesome?!  But it doesn’t end there!!)

The next day, ready to watch the LORD fight for them, the people went forth singing: “Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.”

I absolutely love the next verse (v. 22)!!  And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the {enemies} and they were smitten.”  Woo hoo!!!  🙂

Ahhh.  I love it!

Again, I come across another journal entry (sigh…do I never learn??):

I don’t know if it’s PMS or what, but I was pretty irritable yesterday and especially last night. Cried so hard, and couldn’t stop.  I wanted someone to talk all my thoughts out with but inside I knew that it was better that I didn’t!  How wicked and bitter inside I felt last night.  Thoughts so confused…so frustrated (with my circumstances) that nothing ever changes, except to get a little worse.  Tears and more tears.  Joe and the girls were talking in his office and it bothered me that I wasn’t included…  But it was for the best, that’s for sure!!  God knew I needed to keep my mouth shut last night!

The Lord really helped me to turn my thoughts (so depressing!) to thanksgiving.  To thank HIM for all He has done and blessed me with – so so much!!  What a load lifted – thanking God for my husband, my children, His love for me…so much more!

God is good!  He changed my mourning into gladness.  Thank You!!

Well, praise the Lord!!

Eh hem.  Ummm…I have a problem though…it is so obvious that I need a regular reminder in this “praising” department.  I mean, I’ve already posted on this little blog here about praising the Lord, even in the hard times.  And I talked about the sacrifice of praise.  Oh yeah.  I even named that post “Praise Him!” (and I named this post “Praise Him!” before looking back and realizing I already had a post by that title.  Oh.  Oops.  Yes…I forgot.  sigh.)

You know what that tells me, folks?!  I’ve forgotten to “practice what I preach” and have let myself get in the mullygrubs…again.  Am I stressed out and overwhelmed?  Yes.  Are there things on several fronts bothering me and my family right now?  Yes.  And I’m still trying to figure out this whole PTSD thing and what my next step is… but is any of that an excuse NOT to praise the Lord?!!  Absolutely not!  I’m sure that little head…and little waving hand…has been frantically trying to get my attention lately, but I’ve been too busy being overwhelmed with my current circumstances that I’ve not noticed it.  At all.

I know.  Pathetic. {head hanging in shame}

I’ve let all this “stuff” pile up on top of my shoulders and weigh me down that, I have to confess, it’s been hard to just pick up my Bible and read it or grab my little prayer notebook and pray.  Some days I feel like all I do is just wander around the house and basically exist.

So, you’re wondering, who is this post for.  (Or should I say, “Who is the monster at the end of this book/post??!!”)  Oh…it’s lil ole me.  Yep.  The not so lovable me.

But at least the Lord hasn’t given up on me!  Amazing!!  I thank Him for how He faithfully reminds me of things that He’s already reminded me of…over and over again.  Isn’t He good?!

Praise to the Lord,
O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath,
Come now with praises before Him.
Let the Amen sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him. 

~Joachim Neander (1650-1680)

P.S.  Oh, and guess what verse I looked up and saw, as I’m sitting here at my desk?  I have it written on a heart-shaped sticky note, just 2-3 feet from my nose…(oh me oh my, I’m such a mess!  How can I be so blind??).  Psalm 50:23a – “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me…”  Yes, Lord, I want to glorify YOU…as I offer praise to YOU.  And thank You for yet another sweet reminder!