Tuesday May 13, 2003

~ Praise: Bringing life into focus… ~

Praise the LORD, O my soul;
   all my inmost being, praise his holy name,
Praise the LORD, O my soul,
   and forget not all his benefits –
who forgives your sins
   and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
   and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
   so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

— Psalm 103:1-5 (NIV) —

   There are so many different things we could focus ourselves upon. Pessimists focus on the bad/ugly side of life. Optimistics focus on the good side of life. Buddists focus on the desires of the heart and the elimination of them. Humanitarians focus on the “human” side of life. Hedonists focus upon the desires of the heart and the fulfillment of them. So what should Christians focus on?

   God. Why pray? To talk to God. Why read the bible? To learn about God. Why come together for church? To glorify and worship God. What is the life of a Christian all about? God. Our aim is to please God. How do you please God? Follow His commands: Love God, Love your neighbor. Act justly. Love mercy. Walk with God.

   The focus is not on ourselves, it is on God. When we lose focus, things get confusing fast. A lot like trying to see things with the wrong prescription of eyeglasses. You’d start bumping into stuff and everything looks fuzzy and indistinct.

Keep your eyes, your heart and your soul focused upon God. A Holy God. A forgiving God. A healing God. A loving and compassionate God. A God who answers our desires with good things… instead of things that will harm us. This is why we praise God… because He is, who He is.

Thank you God, for being You.

P.S. God just has a way of bringing stuff that seems fuzzy and indistinct into crystal clarity.