Praise to You, My Lord. May You reign forever. You have lifted me from the rubble of my life and rebuilt it on a strong foundation. You have taken the time to heal my broken heart and restore my sagging spirit. Everything that is in the heavens was put there by Your hands and all that is on the earth was laid out before You. Each of Your creations was designed with much thought and tender love. You gave each one a special name … and that includes me!! Great is the Lord who in power and majesty rules over all things … Your power has no limits. You have turned Your love towards me as I humble myself before You and submit myself to Your will. You watch over the birds who neither sow nor reap. You enjoy the flowers that spring up from the earth giving off delightful fragrances for a time, but quickly fade away and die. Surely I am more important than either of those because You gave Your life for me. You take no pleasure in where I live or what goods I possess or how powerful I become … instead it is how much I mirror You in my life.
I please You the most when I show respect for You and Your Word. When I obey Your commands, I know I can put my hope in Your unfailing love. In Your compassion, You have built up defenses to protect me from evil, sickness and torment. You have given me Your peace as a substitute for unrest, confidence to beat back my fears and comfort to overcome worry. Your Word is a two-edged sword separating the good from the evil in my life and warding off my enemies. To this end, You sent me Your Word and You have set the strongholds of my enemies ablaze and crushed them in Your furry. In Your presence, I am refreshed by cool breezes and the sound of rippling waters. As You reveal Your will to me, I will become stronger and You will be pleased with my efforts.
What really matters is not how much I have, but how I got it and what I do with it … nor is it how much I am loved, but how much I love … nor is it how much I’ve stored up, but how much I’ve given out … nor is it about how many fortresses I’ve build to protect myself, but how many unprotected I’ve taken in … nor is it how much I’ve done to enhance my life, but how much I’ve enhanced the lives of others … nor is it the number of good deeds I’ve done, but how many selfless acts of kindness I’ve done expecting nothing in return … nor is it how much I’ve lived it up, but who I’ve lived for … and, it’s not how many times I’ve toughed it out on my own, but how many times I’ve called on You. Because Your love means so much to me, what really matters is not me or what’s important to me, but what matters to You and what’s important to You. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
Proverbs 16:20 He that handles a matter wisely shall find good; and whoever trusts in the Lord is happy.