High Praises

 “Let the high praises of God be in their throats!” Psalm 149:6

I am not always successful in waking up with praise and thanksgiving. “Word before the world” is what I always remind myself, but I usually turn on my phone to read what’s happened in the other side of the world while I slept. 

There is so much we take for granted, and there is so much to thank God for. Electricity, water, a bed to sleep in, a roof over our heads, family, friends, community, our work, etc. I thank God that I can walk, and talk, and sing. I am especially grateful I am not depressed like the more than 1 billion people worldwide with a mental health condition. That statistic comes from World Health Organization (WHO) report that came out this month. Millions grapple with anxiety and depression and often have no access to health care. 

I was listening to a woman who escaped from Saudi Arabia. Her own father forced her at 9 years old to marry a man who beat her every time she displeased him. She is now in the US, an activist trying to help trapped women like her, in other countries, and even in the States, where the Sharia law is obeyed. 

Let us never take our blessings for granted! We can build a home for the Lord in our hearts by praising Him. And let us in our little way, where we are, with what we have, share our blessings with others. 

“Lord let justice and praise

Become my embrace

To love You from the inside out

Everlasting

Your light will shine when all else fades

Never ending

Your glory goes beyond all fame

And the cry of my heart Is to bring You praise

From the inside out

Lord my soul cries out

Everlasting

Your light will shine when all else fades

Never ending

Your glory goes beyond all fame

And the cry of my heart Is to bring You praise”

( from Hillsong United, From the Inside Out)