When teaching my girls memory verses, I am often the one most challenged. Children have a natural ability to learn and retain information, even though they tend to spit it back out like little pre-recorded messages. But there are times, "glimpses" as Matthew and I call them, when I see them learning and hear them speak with the joy of the Lord in their hearts.
When they cause the windows to shake by shouting out "PRAISE THE LORD, O MY SOUL!!!" I see in them the joy that King David had when he utter these same words. He praised the Lord, whole-heartedly, with no shame or self-consciousness. He simply praised with his heart, soul, mind and strength working in unison.
How often I catch myself coasting or stubbling through the day muttering about this or that, frustrated about life. This is surely not praise from the soul! Sometimes I think that everything has to be good and working well in order to have pure, unadulterated praise. However, looking a little further into Psalm 103, I see that this is not all true. David says, "Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgives all your sins, and heals all your diseases. Who redeems your life from the pit, and crowns you with love and compassion..." You will notice that David mentions the failings we have (sins, diseases, life heading toward the pit). As I pondered this, I began to see that David isn't saying all must be going well in order to praise the Lord. Far from it! But I can praise the Lord, remembering that He [the LORD] has forgiven me, even in my sin; He has healed me, even thought I act as though I'm sick, and He has redeemed me, even when I step onto the path that is heading toward "the pit."
I can cry out with my children "PRAISE THE LORD, O MY SOUL," even when my heart and head are struggling with the day. And, Lord willing, the day will come when the Spirit will move my heart and soul and mind and strength as one to PRAISE THE LORD!
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