{"id":23809,"date":"2018-09-10T03:30:55","date_gmt":"2018-09-10T10:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/?p=23809"},"modified":"2018-09-08T15:54:08","modified_gmt":"2018-09-08T22:54:08","slug":"september-10-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/2018\/09\/10\/september-10-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"September 10, 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"
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“When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.”\u00a0 Psalm 94:19<\/p>\n

The Thankful Muscle<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In response to my sharing about looking for blessings, and making a list of them, some have asked how to do that when you’re going through hard times.\u00a0I think you simply find\/choose one thing to be thankful for.\u00a0You worship over that one thing.\u00a0You thank the Lord for it.\u00a0And then you add another thing to your list.<\/p>\n

It’s like developing a muscle.\u00a0When you first start exercising, it’s hard.\u00a0You may struggle.\u00a0You get sore after a workout. But slowly, you get stronger… and before you know it, it doesn’t hurt to exercise.\u00a0We simply need to develop our “thankful muscle.”\u00a0Start small and simple, and grow! God helps us because He loves the praises of His children.<\/p>\n

Author Mark Batterson said, “When it seems as if God is letting us down, He is setting us up for something that may be beyond our ability to comprehend at the present moment.”<\/p>\n

I think there are times when we’re “down,” when we’re discouraged, and we find it hard to be thankful… maybe we even have a voice telling us that God has failed us. I think that’s when we most\u00a0need to be thankful.<\/u>\u00a0God has never left us. He’s not failed us.\u00a0And He is usually already working on our behalf to bring answers and provisions.\u00a0We need to remember His character, Who He is… and praise, praise, praise Him!\u00a0There is power in worship and praise.<\/p>\n

On my “low” days, I make conscious choices to be thankful.\u00a0I know I need to keep my eyes on Him. I know I need to focus on His goodness and mercy.\u00a0I know He is working to meet my needs.\u00a0The enemy would want me to get upset with God because of the problems I’m facing, but I’ve learned I need to worship Him instead.\u00a0As I do that, it lifts the weights from my heart, and it changes the heavy atmosphere. I can feel joy entering into my spirit.\u00a0I can feel God’s comfort to my weary soul.\u00a0How good and faithful He is.<\/p>\n

“Ascribe to the Lord the glory\u00a0due<\/strong>\u00a0His name; bring an offering and come before Him”\u00a0<\/em>(1 Chronicles\u00a016:29).\u00a0 We can bring a “sacrificial” offering of praise to Him\u2014even when we don’t feel like it!<\/p>\n

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him”\u00a0<\/em>(John\u00a04:23).<\/p>\n

“Fruitful and acceptable worship begins before it begins.”\u00a0Alexander MacLaren<\/p>\n

Worship begins with our hearts being filled with thanksgiving and gratitude… and then worship just\u00a0can’t help from flowing out<\/u>.<\/p>\n

Thanks for worshiping with me!<\/p>\n

\u201cFather, we pray You find our hearts filled with true worship in spirit and truth. May our lives be fruitful and our hearts acceptable in Your sight. In Jesus\u2019 Name, Amen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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