a great post written by my precious friend Rona Shedd…

Psalm 63:3-4 “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name.”

Sometimes I think I’m gonna look in the mirror one day and instead of seeing my face I’m going to see a huge Ipod.  One of the things I’m most thankful for is the library of songs that are constantly playing in my head.  I know that God chooses the playlist for my life each day, because He continues to flash words to songs across the screen of my heart.  It reminds me that I need to stop and just Praise Him.   

When we get a promotion at work, when our hearts are broken, when we know that someone has touched our lives deeply, when our community has been lost to a tornado that ripped our lives apart, when God has given us a fresh start, when our child has deeply hurts us, when we have a new addition to our family, when our spouse has said words that cut us to the core, when we know we’ve done our best for God, or when our best just doesn’t seem to be good enough.

This is when we need to Praise Him the most!  Praise Him because no matter what else happens in this life good or bad He is still God and He is still on the throne.  Thank Him for the blessings in our lives.  Thank Him for giving His life to save us.  Thank Him for being the “God on the Mountain and the God in the Valley”.  

A few weeks ago when “April’s Fury” (that’s what the news kept calling the tornado) came through and tried to take Pleasant Grove, Alabama off the map I just felt numb.  People had lost their homes, their cars, and some even their family members.  Literally people were walking down my street with a bag in their hands, trying to hold onto all they had left.  We learned a valuable lesson.  Not to complain!!  Be thankful and Praise Him for whatever you have.  Watching the dear friends who had lost everything help others who were in the same shape just made it that more real.  We all just felt BROKEN.  Our hearts were broken, our homes were broken, our lives were broken.  God gave me this  song, “Broken Hallelujah” by Mandisa.  Here’s the chorus: “When all that I can sing Is a broken hallelujah, When my only offering Is shattered praise, Still a song of adoration Will rise up from these ruins, I will worship You and give You thanks Even when my only praise Is a broken hallelujah.”

What an awesome attitude to have.  I will Praise Him anyway.  It doesn’t matter what comes my way, I will Praise Him, even if it’s a Broken Hallelujah, I will sing it anyway.  Although it’s sometimes hard to have, I pray that is my attitude.  No matter what happens, I will Praise Him because I know He’s gonna take me through the storms of life over and over again.  He is faithful, He is still God no matter what happens in this life.  And the best thing is, He loves it, because He loves us.  He cares that our heart is broken, our lives are shattered.  He wants us to bring it all to him whether it’s tied up in ribbons and bows or whether we are carrying it in a ripped paper bag.  He wants us to bring Him all of the praise we have to offer Him. 

I challenge you this week to take time to Praise Him each day, whether by listening to a song or raising your hands or just stopping to say, “Thank you Lord for all you have done for me,” just stop and Praise Him.  He is Worthy of all our Praise!!