Thoughts
of Praise
“For
the rest, brothers … if there is any praise – think on these.”
(Phi 4:8
As we come to the end of this series, it is
evident that our ‘thought’ process is first and foremost a choice. We choose
to cultivate thoughts that are positive, not negative, beautiful, not ugly,
thoughts that bless, not curse, and those that are worthy of ‘praise’, instead
of criticism. It is very easy to set
ourselves up as not only the prosecuting attorney, but also judge, jury, and
executioner when it comes to criticizing difficult circumstances, situations,
and people in our lives. However, is
this revealing the character of Messiah Yeshua to a world gone mad? We are called to bless those that persecute
and ridicule us and pray for those who use us spitefully (Mat 5:44), that ‘we
may be children of our Father in heaven.’
It is no accident that the Word of Elohim
calls this a “Sacrifice of Praise” (Jer 33:11; Heb 13:15). There are those times when it is a sacrifice to praise Him, when everything in you wants to
weep and wail, to run and hide, as Elijah did when he ran to his cave (1Kin
19). But those are the times when it is
of vital importance to put on the garment of praise (Isa 61:3)
and begin to rehearse the many blessings that our Abba has poured into our
lives. Beginning with our deliverance,
with the shed blood of Messiah Yeshua, and all that we have been rescued from- fix your thoughts on these things …
“…
if indeed you have heard Him and were taught by Him, as truth is in יהושע: that you put off – with regard to your
former way of life – the old man, being corrupted according to the desires of
the deceit, and to be RENEWED IN THE SPIRIT OF YOUR MIND …” (Eph 4:22-23, emphasis mine)
©2020
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