Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Breathing Right....Praising Him



Good morning!
What a great night of sleep. Sometimes those little gifts that come to us are not appreciated until we don't have them. Sleep has been at a premium over the past week, so when I have a good night of uninterrupted sleep, I am deeply grateful.

I have been parked in Psalm 150 over the past few days.
Thinking on it...
Pondering it...
Trying to see it with a fresh vision. Unsaddle it from the way I've always read it.

Voila'......
Verse 6 --- Let everything that has breath...........sing praises to the LORD! Praise the LORD!

The thing that caught my attention was the phrase "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD."  Every living thing that exist here on this planet should live their lives (which was given to them by God) as an example of the goodness of God. Our lives should be a living, breathing, walking around, eating, sleeping, going to work, example of the goodness that God has poured out on this planet.
Then....here's the kicker....it doesn't say, "Let everything that has been saved praise the LORD!" It qualifies the statement by saying "everything that has breath".  Lost...saved...those on the fence who haven't made a decision one way or the other...it they are breathing...praise should be coming from them.


Where did the "breath" come from?"
GOD!

Genesis 2:7
And the LORD God formed a man's body from the dust of the ground and "Breathed" into it the breath of life. And the man became a living person.
The very breath that you have today comes from that original blast of life God gave to Adam.
IT has been passed down generation to generation and sustains our very life today.
We don't think about such things. Maybe if we did consider that the only reason we are walking around alive today is because God has given to us this 24 hour period, we might wake up to the fact that we should "Praise Him".

The devil wants to keep your mind from thinking on such things. He does not want you pondering the deep things of God, for when you do, your heart is removed from his control and comes under the unction and wooing of God's Holy Spirit.
The devil wants you to keep your thoughts to the mundane, the unimportant, and the temporary things of this world.
That is why our minds are blinded when our thoughts are outside of God (II Corinthians 4:4). That is why we can't spiritually see or discern the dangers that we are falling into with each step we take away from God.
As the scripture says..."Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."


If you read Psalm 150, you'll see a list of instruments that are used in the Temple worship...
You have the following:
1.) Blowing of trumpets
2.) Lyres
3.) Harps
4.) Tambourines
5.) Dancing
Dancing? Oh no! Not dancing. Yes! Dancing.
The body becomes an instrument of worship unto God.
The movement and extension of arms and legs...the expression on the face...all done for the glory of God.
Reckon how many of our church services would come to a screeching halt this Sunday if you got up and started to dance during the worship?
I guess you could scream, "HEY! Haven't any of you guys read Psalm 150" as they carried you out the door.
6.) Stringed instruments
7.) Flutes
8.) Cymbals
9.) Loud clanging cymbals
That is quiet a list of instruments. Do you know what I gather from this list? Worship was off the hook back when Psalm 150 was written. It may have even looked like a free-for-all was going on. All the instruments playing and people dancing and there in the middle of it all, God with a tremendous smile on His face...."I love it when my children worship!"

Do you have breath this morning?
Why not turn your depression into appreciation and give God praise this day?
You might be surprised what happens.


God on you...
mb

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