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Hebrews 13:15 – By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
(KJV)
I have osteoporosis, and have gone from being 4'11½" tall to 4'7". Though I am small in stature, I know that I have a big God living in me!
I have often been confined to my bed when the pain in my joints and back was severe. Having to lie there surrounded by nothing but the bedroom's four walls was a very bleak picture.
During times of dismal isolation, unlikely names for my prison walls crept into my mind.
Wall number one was, of course, "Tormented Pain"; wall number two, "Hopelessness and Despair"; wall number three, "Dark Lonely Isolation"; but the fourth wall, I could not identify. I had no name to give to that one.
On one exceptionally painful night, bound by Tormented Pain, Hopeless Despair, and Dark Lonely Isolation, the fourth wall seemed to stand out like a neon-lighted sign, and in bold letters, I saw the word, "Praise".
Seeing that, I thought, "Yes, of course, praise!" The bouts with pain had been so intense that I could barely think clearly, let alone praise God. Yet, that is exactly what I needed to do. Today's verse reminded me of "the sacrifice of praise", and at that instant, I knew the name of wall number four — it was "Praise"!
As I began to praise God, I was not miraculously healed physically, but an inner spiritual peace replaced my "Woe is me" with "My God is wonderful, and He loves me!"
Psalm 121:2 – My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. (KJV)
God helped me to remove my focus from me and to direct it back onto Him, remembering that my afflictions are only temporal and are no measure of my God's greatness, joy, peace, and hope. Inner strength returned to me.
God is no less God in the bad times than He is in the good times, and He is worthy to be praised at all times.
It is amazing and encouraging to me to think of all the saints, down through the ages till now, who faced physical afflictions, pain, and even death, yet showed forth what made them different from the world and an example of their unwavering praise and thanksgiving to God. Let's join their ranks and offer to God our sacrifice of praise.
Prayer: Lord, we thank You for the inner power, strength, joy, hope, and peace that praising You brings. Amen.
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Thursday, October 10, 2024 – In France — We were blessed with a team from Canada. They were an enormous encouragement to us, doing street evangelism, passing out 1500+ invitations, and praying with many as we shared the Gospel. The Lord is raising a new church in France with a dozen of us meeting every Sunday; faithful believers who desire to grow in the Word of God and in fellowship.
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Amen, Cheremiah.
Thanks for the reminder to praise Him at all times!
Thank you so much for sharing your personal story of victory.
Our Hope is in the Lord and we praise Him. Hard times bring us closer to God because we need Him even.
Amen Cheryl and bravo that you continue to write amidst this huge difficulty. May God bless and encourage you.
Thanks for reminding us that no matter how smooth or how rough this day, God is with us each step of the way.
Thank you for sharing this encouraging devotional with us today! To God be the glory great things He has done, and will do again and again for those who love the Lord Jesus. Blessings.
Thank you for sharing your meditation. I, too, have shrunk from similar conditions as you and I continually try to praise God for my problems which are not as bad as many around me.
I can’t imagine my life without God in it! Thank you for sharing your story with us and reminding us to praise God in every circumstance of life. I know how difficult it can be when in pain. Blessings to you.
Thank you for sharing this inspiring devotional. Going from woe is me to praising Him is such a powerful testimony of His love.
Our God is a great and mighty God indeed.
Thank you for sharing.
I too am in pain, from arthritis, and look forward to the daily Word to keep reminding me to Praise God.
God Bless you.
Hello Cheryl,
This Devotional line arrested my attention: “God helped me to remove my focus from me and to direct it back onto Him, …”
May your soul prosper.
Merci.
Good morning, Cheryl,
Thank you for sharing a time in your life, when God provided what you needed at that moment to help you through a difficult situation. When people share, I am inspired to understand deeper and deeper what faith is and how to practice it. May we all remember to turn our focus onto God as we start each new day He gives us. Blessings.
Good morning, Cheryl,
God is so good, and I am thankful the other wall is called Praise. Only God can give us that inner peace no matter what we are going through. I cannot imagine what your pain is like, but I do know your God and yes, He is amazing!!
Praying less pain and those other walls’ names get erased!!!!!
God bless.
Thanks, Cheryl, for your encouraging and positive words today. Yes, it is amazing when we take time to reflect on the Lord and praise Him for His great care, our body and mind can feel very uplifted. Osteoporosis is not easy to deal with, especially at this time of year with cool damp weather, but focusing on the loving care from our Lord definitely diverts our feelings from pain to praise for His love. Blessings for doing writings for the devotionals.
Good morning, Cheryl,
Sending you much love today with hope in my heart that you are feeling better and that you are pain free today. Being in constant pain is not easy to deal with. I can relate to these bouts of on and off pain I often experience in my neck and head. When we refocus on God and give him the praise our Lord Jesus Christ is faithful to us – our pain isn’t the main focus anymore.
May God in His infinite mercy continue to grant you the grace to live in His strength today and every moment of your life. Amen!
Thank you for your testimony and challenge to claim the promises—my wife and I have had back weakness and pain. This week I claimed Psalm 92 as my Psalm for the year as I celebrated my 92nd birthday. The first verse and last four have been a good focus. I will pray for you in Arizona.
And I reread your devotional and had to tell you that Psalm 121 has been special for me through many years as it was my Grandma’s favorite, and I cherish it.
Dear Cheryl,
Thanks so very much for your devotional this morning. I am sure that it will be such a blessing to many people today.
I cannot imagine the pain you have suffered but your writing reminded me of the little chorus I learned years ago… “We bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord.” I finally understand it from your perspective, having never suffered such severe pain myself. Thank you for sharing.
May God continue to make you a blessing to many as you use this gift of writing that He has given to you.