November 17th, 2020

DAY 12 - GET UP AND PRAISE THE LORD

I’m writing this devotional on the topic of Gratitude in the midst of an interesting and challenging week. A week in which I had a pretty big unexpected car expense - which if I’m being honest - my initial reaction was not #thankfulandblessed. And even when the solution found me and everything was taken care of, I still for a moment found reason to not be happy with what was surely the Lord’s provision. 

So when I sat down to write this, I opened my journal and asked: Father God, what does gratitude mean to you? I felt like He began to talk about how gratitude is an expression that is not determined by the what or the how or the why or the end result. Gratitude isn’t a verb or an action (it’s a noun in the dictionary). It’s a state of being that comes from resting in Him. 
Philippians 1:6 then came to mind: For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus. Now this isn’t necessarily your typical “thanksgiving” scripture but it really resonates. It has been one of those verses that pops up always at just the right time, including today. Learning to live from an eternal perspective, not just blowing with the wind of how the day feels. However, when I am having a moment where there seems to be no solution or I’m finding it hard to rest in God, the thing that usually helps bring me back to a state of gratitude is any sort of creative expression. Whether it’s singing or journaling or taking pictures or painting. It’s to take this “problem”, this very real thing, and instead do the vulnerable. Express yourself to the Father. Open your mouth. Pick up the pen. Pause and ponder. Create something with the Creator.  
I’ll leave you with some lyrics to a song that we’ve been singing for several weeks now in our community. Every time we sing it I watch people abandon themselves and believe what they are singing. I watch people sing (or scream) the words with passion. And I have seen the fruit of it. I pray that it stirs you up as it has stirred me up. 

So I throw up my hands
And praise You again and again
'Cause all that I have is a hallelujah
And I know it's not much
But I've nothing else fit for a King
Except for a heart singing hallelujah
So come on, my soul
Oh, don't you get shy on me
Lift up your song
'Cause you've got a lion inside of those lungs
Get up and praise the Lord
Gratitude | Brandon Lake

​
- Natalie Zigarovich