Praise The Lord Everybody!
I just love that introduction! This is what my husband always says at the beginning of any meeting and live post he does. It fits us perfectly because that is what we are all called to do! Will you say it with me? "Praise the Lord!"
Under the direction of the Lord a few months ago he told me to start putting a post up. I would like to tell you it will be a weekly thing, but I am simply not sure yet. Let’s just see how this goes and what the Lord will have us do. Is that fair? I want to be a woman of my word after all.
I titled this "Who Am I?" Not because I want to give you some massive introduction about me. That would probably bore you to tears. No! If you want to, you can go to the (about us) section of the website and read about us.
It is a question I ask myself often. "Who am I"? I don't know about you but sometimes I forget who I am in Christ! I forget my legal rights as a child of God. When the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy my day I must remember to remind myself who I am so that I can remind him (the enemy) that he CAN'T! Can I get an Amen?
Seriously friends, we have to know the word of God, what it says about us and the promises given to us in order to have victory over any roadblock the enemy tries to throw our way. I don't know what your roadblock is today. Maybe you received a bad report from a doctor, or you are feeling lonely, you may have woken up on the wrong side of the bed, someone hurt you or you can't pay your bills. What I do know is we have a heavenly Father who cares about it all!
Accept the fact that if it matters to you, no matter what it is, it matters to God. Get out of that religious thinking that you don't want to bother God with the small stuff. Be mindful that little things turn into big things quickly!
Song of Soloman 2:15 "The little foxes spoil the vine."
The minute you think you can fix it; you are allowing yourself to become higher than your heavenly father! There is an old song that one of my favorite preachers sings under his tent. "Let Jesus Fix It For You”! No matter how big or small he knows how and is willing, but he won't if you have the need to navigate it. Take away your ideas, thoughts and plans and say, "here you go Jesus, I give it to you"! Leave it there PRAISE Him, thank Him and go do something else.
Is this easy? At first no! It is necessary and it will get easier. I would like to say I have perfected this in my own life but there are many areas I fall short of. Some I have victory over and some I am still walking this out. The important thing is I am not quitting. I do not say it doesn't work just because my breakthrough hasn't happened yet. I told a friend this week that you praise "UNTIL!” Until? Yes, you have already asked now praise Him and thank Him for the answer until it happens! As my husband said praise Him so that is takes care of the next five things you are believing Him for!
I am sure you want an example. Sure, I can give you one! Let me start with a silly small one since I told you no matter how big or small Jesus wants to fix it for you.
Dan and I were newlyweds way back in 1995. We were having his mom and dad over for dinner. It was the first time we had a meal at our home for someone. I believe it goes without saying that this was an exciting moment for a young couple. I was eager to get this delicious meal ready before they arrived.
Everything was perfect up until it was time to prepare my salad. Do you know that feeling you get when you realize you forgot to purchase a much-needed ingredient? Yes, I experienced this awful feeling because I forgot the most important ingredient for my salad. It was a tomato. Really? Today, I could care less if I am lacking a tomato in my salad, but on this day, for me, for my first really grown-up dinner it was the end of the world.
I shouted out "JESUS", I need tomatoes, please send them to me, and thank you! I didn't have time to get in the car and go anywhere! I put my half made (to me) salad in the fridge and went outside to let the dog out. I let it go and didn't worry about it. I was determined nothing was going to ruin this moment of firsts in my life. (Gee, I am encouraging myself right now! Maybe we need to take a praise break! Hallelujah, I think we all need to be determined to not let the enemy ruin one second of our moments.)
Anyhow, while out with the dog my mother-in-law was coming home from work. She stopped at the top of hill and rolled her window down. She yelled out to me asking me if I needed tomatoes! Tomatoes!!! Did you hear this? She asked me if I needed tomatoes! She was at work and there were tomatoes on the salad bar, and she scooped a bunch up and didn't want them, so she brought them home. Not only did I get my tomatoes, but they were also washed, cut and ready for my salad! Praise the Lord! That's the God I serve. When we let Him do it, everything is done perfectly! I still praise him for this 29 years later!
I also have a hard “praise Until” moment. My mom was battling in her body. It seemed like she was in the hospital more than she was home most of the time. I kept thanking God for my mom’s victory. I prayed daily and believed in a miracle with her.
I was on the phone with my mom. I called her weekly to see how she was and just to talk. I honored her the best way I could as she lived so far away. She was in the hospital and said she felt fine, but they said she had pneumonia. She sounded great, we laughed, talked and I encouraged her. Honestly, it was the best conversation I ever had with her. I knew she was sick but never expected what would happen next. I just kept praising God for her good health. That night I received a call from my sister. It was about 2 a.m. She was crying and told me the nurse called and said they better get there quickly. All I could do was pray. I prayed and I prayed, and I prayed. A couple of hours had passed, and no one had called me yet. So, I continued to pray.
I decided to call. The charge nurse answered the phone and she put me on hold for what I felt like was an eternity. I hear a click "Mrs. Booth, your mom expired at 2:45 a.m."(I may be off on this time). Wait, what? Not and “I am sorry to tell you”, not a word from anyone? I was heartbroken and full of many questions. I had a choice to make. Would I get mad and lash out in anger? Would I immediately dwell on the why or how of this? No, I chose to think good thoughts and let the rest go. I took a deep breath, cried a bit and wiped my tears. I knew my mom was saved, so I quit praying for her healing because she was gone, and I started praising God. I praised Him for the assurance that I had that I would see her again, I thanked Him for the gift of the conversation he gave me earlier that day, I thanked Him for the opportunity to have a mom. Anything I could think of to give thanks I did. I prayed Until! It wasn’t the answer I wanted but He was still God, and I still trusted and believed He is a miracle working God.
Trust me friend, I know praise and pray Until. I also know there is nothing that can happen to you that God can't do something about! If we allow Him to! We are His children; He loves us and wants to care for us in every way! That is who we are! We are a child of the most High God. He is our provider, our redeemer, our very present help in a time of need, our healer, our comforter and our Savior.
I am not going to tell you everything will work out the way you want it to, but what I will say is that if you allow God to navigate, you will be fine no matter the outcome. He will give you peace. For this to work, you must know who you are in Him and what belongs to you! Who Am I? I am a child of God! I can have what His word says I can Have! I encourage you today to get into that word and see for yourself what he has for you!
Jeremiah 29:11-13 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."