Don’t Despair!

It shall come to pass in the day the LORD gives you rest from your sorrow, and from your fear and the hard bondage in which you were made to serve, that you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: “How the oppressor has ceased,
The golden city ceased! The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,
The scepter of the rulers; He who struck the people in wrath with a continual stroke,
He who ruled the nations in anger, Is persecuted and no one hinders. The whole earth is at rest and quiet; They break forth into singing. Isaiah 14:3-7 NKJV

Our day of rest is coming–rest from hearing adults act like children, rest from watching entire cities being bombed and entire populations diminished, rest from debating the merit of being religious versus being in relationship with God–rest–from all the cares of the world and we will see the world break forth into singing.

Is your song ready?

“Great is thy faithfulness, Great is they faithfulness, morning by morning new mercies I see.”

“He’s an awesome God.”

“There is none like You.”

“Worship Him.”

Here’s one I’ll sing–and this is the first view:

Lord God Almighty,

How I adore You

How I wait–for Your Return

Lord God Almighty,

You who know all about us,

And loved us, equally

In spite of our flaws.

Lord God Almighty,

Though I may not be perfect,

I try to live Your Word

And more than anything,

Promote love as Your Laws.

Lord God Almighty,

Hear our plea

And Give Rest to The Weary,

Courage to the fainthearted,

Faith to the hopeless,

Standing Firm until the end.

Lord God Almighty,

Only You know

The Day of Your Return,

And I wait–to live with You forever!

For those who are thinking, “what’s the point of continuing to live in such a crazy world,” don’t despair, live on any way. God has something wonderful in store for you–just for you–and He intends for it happen. Don’t let the enemy influence you to become fearful of anything man can do or has done--just look to Him and know you are loved beyond measure and no matter what you have done–He is willing to forgive and keep you on the path He has established for you. Let Him into your heart and allow Him to reign and watch how blessed you will be–when you belong to Him.

Whatever is going on in your life that makes you want to stop living–remember–this is just a temporary moment–and it shall pass. Live the life that God has planned for you and give the devil notice that you will not believe his lies–you will live and praise God for His love and mercy and grace.

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Singing!

Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. Psalm 33:3 NIV

Singing praises to our God is a wonderful way to not dwell on our surroundings, especially when those surroundings can cause us grief. The beauty of singing a new song, one no one has ever heard before is that no one can criticize the words, the rhythm, or our voices–since we usually sing them to ourselves.

Over the years, whenever I prepared to minister to God’s people, He always gave me a song to conclude the message. Reception to these songs was usually pretty good and at one time, the church I attended had an awesome musician who could play anything just by listening to a few bars. And when a musician couldn’t pick up the song, I sang it acappella.

Now, when things get too embroiled for me to address without causing more turmoil, I sing a song. Sometimes, it’s a new one–whatever is poured into my spirit–and sometimes, it’s a song that really ministers to me. Recently, I sang to myself–Encourage Yourself In The Lord–and I had to keep singing it in order not to respond to foolishness.

Lately, I find myself singing quite a bit. Most of the songs are based upon The Word, so I can get a chance to meditate on The Word as well as to calm me. Like David playing to keep Saul calm, singing has supernatural power to keep us calm before we create a storm.

Most mothers sing to their infants to calm them. Choirs sing to magnify The Lord. There are songs that make people want to dance and some that make people cry, but singing is a good way to wipe out negativity and the desire to avenge oneself when one feels they have been wronged.

O Lord, You who know everything,

Soothe my heart and let my voice ring,

With a melody that praises You,

And encourages my spirit, too,

Praising You for all You have done

And will do, creating all under the sun,

Providing us with its marvelous light,

Negating the wrongs, to always do right,

As unto You, not to cause others flight,

Away from You. O Lord, I sing

And hear angels’ voices ring,

Carrying the melody meant to calm

In the midst of every storm–until joy,

Releases its healing balm.

There is indeed a balm in singing unto You!

Whenever we feel like we’re about to lose it–our tempers or get emotionally distraught, we can solve it all, by singing!

 

I Will Sing!

“My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.” (Psalm 108:1-5 NIV)

This psalm is a reflection of my thoughts and my emotions are running high! But I have to remember that no matter what happens in any given day, no matter how many challenges rise to deter me from my course, that I can and will sing–to The Lord, thanking Him for being who He is, praising Him for the victories won on a daily basis, and for His faithfulness towards us. I can and will sing at any given opportunity, whether I sound like a choir of angels or a pond of croaking frogs; whether I can sing loud enough to be heard a block away or whisper a melody that only God can hear–I will sing!

When our hearts are heavy with the burdens we carry, an uplifting song will ease those burdens away. If we can’t remember all the lyrics of a published songs, we can change the words to suit our heart’s desire and sing anyway. At the craziest moments–a song has risen in my heart that no one else has ever heard before, but the Lord provides me the melody and the lyrics and when the moment is over–I seldom remember the words or the melody, but God knows.

One of my favorite songs is–“I’ve got the victory, Hallelujah; I’ve got victory, Hallelujah, I’ve got the victory, Hallelujah. Every knee shall bow and every heart confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord, Every knee shall bow and every heart confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. 2) The devil is liar–Hallelujah!  3) Enemies are defeated, Hallelujah!

Another includes the words; “Can’t stop praising His Name, I just can’t stop praising His Name, I just can’t stop praising His Name, Jesus–Hallelujah Jesus!

I could go on and on as I’m sure many could, but the point of this is encourage all to sing a song of praise, of worship, with joy overflowing, remembering that nothing–no weapon–shall ever deter us from accomplishing our goals as long as we have a song in our hearts to keep us focused on God’s goodness. I feel a song coming on.

No matter what I do this day,

No matter how I feel,

I close my eyes and feel His presence,

His love overflowing, wiping away my tears,

I feel Him holding me close, making me whole and healed,

And I listen to His voice, “Within My arms, there’s no fear.”

I open my eyes, looking towards heaven, waiting for that day,

When all pain is washed away, and with Him, I’ll always stay.

I see the bright blue sky, the sun’s light brightly shining over all He’s made,

And I know, I can make it because of who He is,

And I know, I can make it because of who He is.

And I know, I can make it because of who He is,

My everything, all I’ll ever need–is Him in my life!  (choose a melody for yourself)

Glory Hallelujah! Thank You, Jesus for speaking to my heart and reminding me all is well with my soul and there’s nothing I cannot accomplish with You going before me–preparing hearts to receive all You have to tell them, clearing out obstacles so that You alone get all the glory. Oh Yes, I will sing and tell all who listen–How great The Lord Is–mighty Savior is He. I will sing–through the tears and pain, the heartache and the rain, I will sing!

What The Entrance Should Be!

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs, Know that the Lord is God, It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” (Psalm 100 NIV)

When we come into His presence (and not just the church building), we should be shouting for joy, worshipping Him with gladness, coming before Him with joyful (not sad) songs, knowing the Lord is God.  Hallelujah!

It is He who made us (we didn’t make ourselves no matter what we think) and we are His–His people, the sheep of His pasture and He is our great Shepherd.

Getting into the presence of God is a matter of re-thinking who we are and acknowledging who He is. We enter into His presence with thanksgiving. Now, since He is God and He is omnipresent, His presence is everywhere–not just where we relegate Him. I’m inclined to think that many of the church’s ills that exist today, exist because we have relegated God to a specific location and a specific time and we don’t acknowledge Him outside of that. This is an attitude and perception that must be laid to rest.

If Holy Spirit resides in me, then I am always in God’s presence and should always be mindful that I am. If I am mindful of this one thing–He is with me–always–I would pay more attention to the things I do. So, would we all. If we all reached the same conclusion, then we could eradicate sin–especially in the church–and become a model for others so they too would be able to Enter Into His presence–daily.

When we first open our eyes–we should give thanks–because He didn’t have to allow us to wake up. Some may say their alarm clock wakes them, but many alarm clocks have sounded the alarm, but the bodies who set–never rose again. It is He who wakes us and gives us the strength of our limbs and a reason to praise. Enter In!

If we stop and think about all He has done, all He is doing, and all He will do on our behalf, we should break into a song of gladness–full of life and a beat so intense we can’t keep our feet still. Enter In!

No matter how short we fall of being perfect and faithful, He is always perfect and faithful to us–no matter what we do–we will never stop His faithfulness. Even when we cause Him to be sad over our behavior, He loves us enough to wait for us to get it right, never leaving or forsaking us. We’ll never be abandoned by God! Enter In!

Songs of worship–letting Him know we know–just how much He loves us and how much He cares for us–are more like a melodic love song–songs filled with so much love that tears fall with the revelation of that love.

Songs of praise–are like a testimony in rhythmic beat–livelier than worship, igniting movement–stomping our feet or dancing, clapping our hands, shouting the victory in praise of Him.

Sometimes our prayer life–especially when we pray in the spirit–using the prayer language He’s given us that no man can understand–becomes a chant–a song all by itself and that’s okay. We know we’ve entered in when we allow Holy Spirit to take over and when He’s finished, hearts are lighter, visions clearer, and for most of us–that can do anything but fail mode comes upon us and we are ready for the world. Enter In!

All of this–worship, praise, dancing in the spirit on the altars of our hearts–is how we should enter into His presence on a daily basis.

Why All The Noise?

“Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.” (Isaiah 43:13 NIV)

Once the Prophet Isaiah has assured the children of Israel will not allow them to go hungry or die of thirst or heat from the sun, he infers that even the heavens, all the earth, and the mountains should praise the Lord for His compassion and comfort of those who have been persecuted.

The same God, who would not leave His chosen people to their own devices, loved them in spite of them and after a time–giving them room to reflect upon their behavior–He still decided to make sure they had everything they needed and would be saved their persecutors. The same God–will do the same those of us who have chosen Him–and He has received us unto Himself. He will not allow us to suffer lack when we obey Him.

We can look around us and see those who have chosen to live in opposition to His Word and know that their end–will not the same as those who live according to His Word. God is not mocked and He will not bless mess, corruption, rebellion, and disobedience. People may think they’re getting away with something, but they are not. And when we understand this, we can keep our faith moving forward, not focused on the foolishness of man, but on the mercy, grace and love of God who will redeem us from the hands of the enemy.

Shout for joy all you people who love The Lord! Sing praises unto Him who loves us in spite of us and will not allow us to suffer lack. Dance in the victory of being an overcomer for we shall overcome all the enemy puts in our path to defeat us–we are more than conquerors. We have a right to make “some noise” over all He is doing for us and will do when we allow Him to guide us in all things! Hallelujah!

I don’t know about you, but when I think about Jesus and all He has done, I could dance, dance, dance, all day! Singing a new song, from the depths of my soul as my heart rejoices in His goodness and mercy that endures forever!

Are you ready? Shout in the name of Jesus! Hallelujah! Glory to Your Name, Lord!

I Will Sing!

“I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.” (Psalm 104:33 NIV)

The birds of the earth sing their praises every morning, their chirping so loud that sometimes, it becomes annoying, until one realizes they are simply doing, what they are meant to do.

The crickets sing their praises and when we forget–they remind us–they know our awesome God.

Every creature in the earth and those in the water have a song of praise for the God of all creation who gives them food when they are hungry and shelter in which to rest.

I am a uniquely created being, created in His image and He does supply all my needs and when I please Him, He gives me the desires of my heart. What an awesome God! He who set the moon, the sun and stars in their place, to give light and hope against darkness and loves me enough to provide all my needs–even when I didn’t deserve it.

What love He has for us, His creation made a little lower than the angels,

Yet giving us opportunity to judge them for their care of us.

What other god can claim to know how He exists or explain,

All He has done and will do, for those who trust Him and obey?

He, who was before time began in the minds of man

And will be–long after the dust has accumulated every hand,

That ever made anything with what He provided, before it was ever needed.

Oh yes, I will sing His praises, loud and long

My voice I’ll raise, whether weak or strong

There is none like Him, no one who can compare,

With Him or His Love, Mercy and Grace,

I will sing until I see Him face-to-face, and

Even more after, since all will be finished,

I will accomplish all He has planned

To His Glory, and everyone I meet shall know,

When I tell them of His goodness, everywhere I go.

I will sing, though many may cringe at the sound of my voice,

I will sing, He chose me and now it’s my choice,

To serve Him and sing His praises, forevermore.

This is my song, and like the critters who sometimes annoy us, this song may annoy since it has no rhythm or melody other than what’s in my heart. Since I am not alone in my quest to please Him, He’ll give a song to any and all who desire to sing His praises–loud, long, and strong–reminding all creation–He’s given us a song!

Soul Lifting!

“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God” (Psalm 42:11 NKJV).

What happens to us when our souls are cast down? You know, that inner man/woman, that will be judged for all eternity. Why should we be concerned about the troubles of the world and allow those troubles to change our attitudes and the looks on our faces? The answer quite simply is, we should never allow the world’s troubles to cause us to look like we have lost hope in God.

When things get so chaotic that you allow the frustrations to get you down, remind your soul–Soul, Soul, our hope is in God and there is nothing that He cannot fix.

When children/grandchildren get out of hand, remind your soul–Soul, Soul our hope is in God and in His strength I will be the Godly parent or grandparent I need to be.

When a doctor brings you a negative report and your countenance falls, remind your soul–Soul, Soul- our hope and trust is in God and our entire body is healed by His stripes and nothing shall by any means, harm us.

No matter what happens, remind your soul that while all the stuff going on around you is out of your control, it is within God’s control and you can praise Him, smile, and laugh at the devil who wanted you to cry and pout! Laugh out Loud! Praise God! Hallelujah, Glory to God! God is able! No weapon formed against me shall prosper! I can do all things through Him who loves me! There is nothing to hard for God, absolutely nothing! I am a child of the most High King and I am all that He has said I am! I am never defeated because of His love! I am always victorious in all things! God is my shield and my banner, in Him will I trust!

Sing a lively praise song, loud and long, whenever things in life attempt to get you down! Don’t know any! Turn up the radio to contemporary Gospel and sing-a-along! Can’t sing? Dance to the music! Lift up your heads, O you servants of the Lord, and sing His praises loud enough for the sound to reach the heavens and see God smiling at you!

Feel like dancing yet? I do! Hallelujah for our risen Savior!

And remember this, “When nothing else would help, Love lifted me!”

God loves us and only wants the best for us–receive and act like you have everything you need!

Can You Hear Him Singing?

The Lord will rejoice with singing over His children when He delights in them. (Zephaniah 3:17 Paraphrased)

Can you hear Him singing with joy over the things you do?

If He is singing with delight, we must be doing the right thing–loving Him and others. If we cannot hear Him singing with delight, maybe we should take another look at what we’re doing. Could it be that our behavior is not pleasing to Him? Could it be that our speech is not pleasing to Him? Could it be that our complacent attitudes are not pleasing to Him? Just what is it that is keeping us from hearing Him rejoicing over us?

If we don’t have the answers, we must assume the position of prayer and seek Him to determine why we cannot hear Him singing with joy over what we do or say and make a change, today!

If we can hear Him singing–Hallelujah–keep up the good work and know that His love is everlasting and He never gives up on us and neither should we! I can hear Him singing right now!

And the Big Deal is…?

Why have people made an issue of Beyonce saving her voice during the Presidential Inauguration?

Is she the first person who ever did not risk their voice in the cold?

Will she be the last person to preserve her voice by using “her own recorded voice”?

Was this an issue that simply made the media go crazy to “ignite ratings”?

Beyonce has a great voice and no one can take that away from her and now, she should be applauded for using “wisdom” to preserve her voice from injury.  Most talented, professionals know and understand this concept and for the “wanna bes”–well, that say’s it all, they complain because they have not yet arrived and probably won’t.  Don’t hate others just because they use wisdom to protect their God-given gift.  Get wisdom, get understanding and be slow to speak about those things you do not understand.