My soul, praise the Lord! Every part of me, praise his holy name! My soul, praise the Lord and never forget how kind he is! Psalm 103:1-2
Here it is the last days of 2020. When I read Psalm 103:1-2, I agreed, was challenged, and reminded.
I agreed that I must praise the Lord with all that I have, and that He is so kind.
I was challenged to see the good because of the year that it has been.
I am reminded that no matter what storms in life come our way, His name is to be praised.
Being the child of God that I am, it is in my nature to praise the Lord. Praising God in good and bad times is what we are supposed to do. The way my mind works (and Tim often tells me that I’m unique in this way), I strive to see the glory in the end of a difficult situation, or the godly and positive perspective of the simple, difficult, and ordinary things in life. Choosing to live with glory and a godly perspective serves me well.
From the rising of the sun to its setting, The name of the Lord is to be praised. Psalm 113:3 NASB
I’m usually up for a challenge. When you mention “organizing photos” to me…that is often an overwhelming challenge. Yea, yea, it’s not quite the 2020 challenge one would expect. Maybe I should change the word challenge to daunting-project. I love photos and take a plethora of them. So, what I have begun doing, after reading Psalm 103:1-2, is going through the photos from 2020 on my iPhone. Starting on January 1, a smile came across my face. The first photo, in the wee hours of 2020, was a black and white picture of many of our eldest son’s friends. Tim and I had arrived home from a New Year’s Eve party at our friends’, the Bowden’s, home and began ringing in the New Year with a bunch of young adults. We enjoy entertaining others at our home, and it appears that our eldest child does too. That’s one of the reasons why we built the outdoor area that we did. I’m only seven months into going through my photos, but it’s obvious that 2020 hasn’t stopped us from entertaining, and the smiles on everyone’s faces bring joy.
My challenge/task is to go through each photo on my phone and create a book for 2020. This project has reminded me that no matter what life may throw our way, we can always find joy and bring glory to God. And…it’s really not that daunting after all…just takes a little time and brings lots of memories to the forefront of my mind.
Figs might not grow on the fig trees, and grapes might not grow on the vines. Olives might not grow on the olive trees, and food might not grow in the fields. There might not be any sheep in the pens or cattle in the barns. But I will still be glad in the Lord and rejoice in God my Savior. Habakkuk 3:17-18 ERV
Yes, 2020 has been a year we “might not” had expected, yet I will still be glad in the Lord and rejoice in God my Savior.
I’d like to encourage you to scroll through your photos or glance at your 2020 calendar, or just ponder on what all has occurred throughout the year. One photo automatically creates a multitude of memorable visuals and emotions in our mind. I pray that you will be able to see the good, and have a smile on your face as you reflect on 2020. Maybe this past year hasn’t been as overwhelming as your think.
Remember…My soul, praise the Lord! Every part of me, praise his holy name! My soul, praise the Lord and never forget how kind he is! Psalm 103:1-2
Blessings to you and yours,
Stephanie
Oh, just go ahead and read all of Psalm 103 and be blessed:
My soul, praise the Lord! Every part of me, praise his holy name! My soul, praise the Lord and never forget how kind he is! He forgives all our sins and heals all our sicknesses. He saves us from the grave, and he gives us love and compassion. He gives us plenty of good things. He makes us young again, like an eagle that grows new feathers. The Lord does what is fair. He brings justice to all who have been hurt by others. He taught his laws to Moses. He let Israel see the powerful things he can do. The Lord is kind and merciful. He is patient and full of love. He does not always criticize. He does not stay angry with us forever. We sinned against him, but he didn’t give us the punishment we deserved. His love for his followers is as high above us as heaven is above the earth. And he has taken our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west. The Lord is as kind to his followers as a father is to his children. He knows all about us. He knows we are made from dust. He knows our lives are short, that they are like grass. He knows we are like a little wildflower that grows so quickly, but when the hot wind blows, it dies. Soon, you cannot even see where the flower was. But the Lord has always loved his followers, and he will continue to love them forever and ever! He will be good to all their descendants, to those who are faithful to his agreement and who remember to obey his commands. The Lord set his throne up in heaven, and he rules over everything. Angels, praise the Lord! You angels are the powerful soldiers who obey his commands. You listen to him and obey his commands. Praise the Lord, all his armies. You are his servants, and you do what he wants. Psalm 103:1-21 ERV