by Marilyn Ehle
“I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live“. Psalm 67:2
The crowd…shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!â€â€¦ Matthew 21:9
(The crowd) all answered, “Crucify him!†Matthew 27:22
The words to “praise songs†flowed easily off my lips as I comfortably sat during a recent worship service. The melodies, whether accompanied by grand organ or rhythmic brass, strings and drums, filled my heart with the promise of unending praise to the God I love and promise to serve.
And then the picture of the crowds on what we call Palm Sunday flashed before me. They too were filled with praise for the One they assumed would be their Savior. They knew the prophetic writings, many of them were faithful followers of God, they longed for the day when the tyrannical oppressor would be overcome. And so they shouted their praise.
But the Savior they presumed would be their savior did not fulfill their dreams. His teaching was often obscure. He predicted things that didn’t have the ring of triumph. He asked for denial of self and giving to others, many of whom would not appreciate the gift. They allowed themselves to be swayed by those who seemed to have all the answers.
Singing on Sunday morning is far different from living on Monday in the classroom, office or field. When a friend goes into a coma after simple surgery and doctors have no answers. When unemployment extends into long, dismal months and the bank account is drained. When children wander off the paths we know would be best.
Following closely after Jesus often means living with unanswered questions, but a good first step in insuring that our praise will be lifelong is beginning to practice the command given by the Apostle Paul: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances…†(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Father, forgive me for the short shelf life of my praise. Teach me more about daily praise, even when circumstances seem anything but “praiseworthy.â€
You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughtsaboutgod.com/blog/2010/02/20/me_here-today/
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