"I love praising God"
"I love praising God."
Don't hear that very much do you? Not in today's americanized culture. You hear "I love this song," or "I love this phone." But to genuinely LOVE praising the Lord? I didn't realize that it was possible for a young child to love praising the Lord until I met a little girl called Jalia. Jalia has the heart of an angel. Shy and timid, she kept her words few, but oh the meaning of them. We were sitting in devotions one night while ebony hands were being raised to the air and young ugandan bodies were swaying to the beat of the massive drum, and I had the privilege to stand next to Jalia. This was only the second night we were there so I had spoken little to her. But as a song finished, she beckoned for me to lean down and she said to me, "I love praising God."
It blew me away. Tears started forming in my eyes and I had to work to blink them back. As I continued to watch her, I saw those words come true in her life. She loved praising the Lord, she loved speaking of His goodness, and singing simple praise to His name, and thanking Him for what He had done in her life, even though she was without parents and seemingly NO hope.
While I watched her, I thought to myself, I wish I could have faith like that, but I have too much to worry about. Ha. The Lord quickly pulled me back in my place. How could I have anything to worry about? He has it all under control! He knows each and every detail of each and every "problem" I encounter and face, and all I do is wish He would do more. How could I? To stare at the face of Jesus and say "You aren't enough for me." That's when my faith decreases instead of increases. And it took a child with nothing to put me back in my place. God quickly reminded me that I needed to have faith like Jalia. Simple, all-believing faith. To look up towards heaven and tell God how much I love praising him. To give Him more and more of my heart so He can completely capture it in His arms like He did with Jalia. And to believe in everything He is.
Through that child's pure and undefiled worship to God, a Joy crept from her heart and her soul all the way to her face that could not be contained. She radiated the Joy of Jesus.
In America, sometimes its hard to find Joy. True Joy. Our minuscule circumstances wedge their way in between ourselves and the Lord, and our faith slowly gets chipped away. But He is still there, waiting for us to just cry out, I love You. He is there and He is in everything. Even in America where people are rude and angry and where the wealth makes people poor in heart, He is there, waiting. It's OUR job as Christians to make that step and cry out to Him privately and publicly, and in turn, He fills us with Joy. He gives us a hunger for Him that lets us do nothing but to continually say "I love praising God."
And that is the most beautiful thing.
Don't hear that very much do you? Not in today's americanized culture. You hear "I love this song," or "I love this phone." But to genuinely LOVE praising the Lord? I didn't realize that it was possible for a young child to love praising the Lord until I met a little girl called Jalia. Jalia has the heart of an angel. Shy and timid, she kept her words few, but oh the meaning of them. We were sitting in devotions one night while ebony hands were being raised to the air and young ugandan bodies were swaying to the beat of the massive drum, and I had the privilege to stand next to Jalia. This was only the second night we were there so I had spoken little to her. But as a song finished, she beckoned for me to lean down and she said to me, "I love praising God."
It blew me away. Tears started forming in my eyes and I had to work to blink them back. As I continued to watch her, I saw those words come true in her life. She loved praising the Lord, she loved speaking of His goodness, and singing simple praise to His name, and thanking Him for what He had done in her life, even though she was without parents and seemingly NO hope.
While I watched her, I thought to myself, I wish I could have faith like that, but I have too much to worry about. Ha. The Lord quickly pulled me back in my place. How could I have anything to worry about? He has it all under control! He knows each and every detail of each and every "problem" I encounter and face, and all I do is wish He would do more. How could I? To stare at the face of Jesus and say "You aren't enough for me." That's when my faith decreases instead of increases. And it took a child with nothing to put me back in my place. God quickly reminded me that I needed to have faith like Jalia. Simple, all-believing faith. To look up towards heaven and tell God how much I love praising him. To give Him more and more of my heart so He can completely capture it in His arms like He did with Jalia. And to believe in everything He is.
Through that child's pure and undefiled worship to God, a Joy crept from her heart and her soul all the way to her face that could not be contained. She radiated the Joy of Jesus.
In America, sometimes its hard to find Joy. True Joy. Our minuscule circumstances wedge their way in between ourselves and the Lord, and our faith slowly gets chipped away. But He is still there, waiting for us to just cry out, I love You. He is there and He is in everything. Even in America where people are rude and angry and where the wealth makes people poor in heart, He is there, waiting. It's OUR job as Christians to make that step and cry out to Him privately and publicly, and in turn, He fills us with Joy. He gives us a hunger for Him that lets us do nothing but to continually say "I love praising God."
And that is the most beautiful thing.
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