Category: Praise

11/27/2024 0 Comments

Grace-Caused Thanksgiving

Ron York

Dad is bedridden now, and most days, unable to feed himself, requiring care 24/7. Yet despite increased dementia and limited capacity, he smilingly answers simple questions, and his appreciation flows naturally toward those assisting him. He knows and sings the words of Amazing Grace with closed eyes and a swaying head. His eyes twinkle as he joins me in singing the Marine Corps Hymn. A peace within him resonates with the words Paul shared with the Corinthian believers.

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11/19/2024 0 Comments

Hidden Things

Jesus performed many miracles in the cities He walked, which should have authenticated His message, and yet most of those He encountered would not repent of their sins. Their hardheartedness kept them from recognizing the hand of God’s Son at work and connecting their need to listen to Him. He criticized them for their attitude and warned them of God’s impending judgment (Matthew 11:20-24).

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11/12/2024 0 Comments

Omnipresent

When I was a junior officer attending Infantry Officers Basic Course (IOBC), we sponsored foreign military officers. Some of those officers were married Muslims who were quite happy to be in America and to engage in all kinds of immoral activity. When asked why they were getting intoxicated and frequenting strip clubs when they had wives back home and strict rules against consuming alcohol, their answers were quite revealing. “Allah cannot see us. He is not present here.” They firmly believed that only in their own country were they visible and accountable for their behavior. Their Allah was a god with limitations.

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8/23/2024 1 Comment

A Crime More Despicable

Meditation
1 Samuel 25:2,3--A man in Maon had a business in Carmel; he was a very rich man with 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats and was shearing his sheep in Carmel. The man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name, Abigail. The woman was intelligent and beautiful, but the man, a Calebite, was harsh and evil in his dealings.

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8/9/2024 0 Comments

Music

The first time the word song is used in the Bible is in Exodus 15, when Moses and the Israelites sang to the LORD after He delivered them from the Egyptian army chasing them. What a grateful sound they shared toward heaven. Generations later, King David assigned duties to the Levites to serve as musicians for God’s temple. Those duties languished under the rule of evil kings when the people turned their backs on God to worship idols. Later, one of David’s lineage, King Hezekiah, recognized the importance of music devoted to God.
Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the Lord’s temple with cymbals, harps, and lyres according to the command of David, Gad the king’s seer, and Nathan the prophet. For the command was from the Lord through His prophets (2 Chronicles 29:25).
The tradition of music with worship was so ingrained in the writings and history of the Israelites that they could reinstitute practices that occurred hundreds of years earlier.

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7/15/2024 3 Comments

Assassination Attempt

The report was shocking. How did Thomas Crooks get into a line-of-sight position after being spotted by local Trump supporters and then fire off multiple shots, killing former fire chief Corey Comperatore and critically wounding others while grazing the ear of his intended target, former president Donald Trump?[1] But for an inch . . . had the Secret Service been more vigilant, Crooks might have been neutralized before shooting anyone. But for an inch . . . Trump could have died. But for an inch . . . an entire nation might have experienced gargantuan turmoil.

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2/24/2024 0 Comments

Giving Glory to God

This year, I bought a journal and am using it to develop my prayer life. I’ve divided it into sections for praise, thanksgiving, prayer for friends and family, prayer for those who don’t know the Lord, personal requests, ministry, etc. Psalm 71:14, 15 says, “But I will hope continually and will praise You more and more. My mouth will tell about Your righteousness and Your salvation all day long, though I cannot sum them up.” This verse is recorded at the top of page 6 of my journal to remind me of things to praise God. So far, I have 54 items, which is on pace for one topic per day. Page 7 continues with Psalm 146:2—“I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing to my God as long as I live.” I start with these two pages daily because they set the tone of praise and remind me of what is most important in life—God!

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1/31/2024 1 Comment

God Will Speak

Stac saw an older man in Kroger with an Army Vietnam Veteran cap, so she thanked him for his service. They talked for a while, swapping stories, and just before she left, he asked if he could share one more story with her. Mike said that while serving in Vietnam, he was in his Quonset hut one night, lying on his cot all alone, when a voice told him to get up and move away from it. He thought that was strange and ignored the message and tried to sleep. But again, he heard a voice telling him to move. He did nothing and fell asleep, only to be shaken awake and ordered by a clear voice a third time to get up and move outside the hut. Finally, he listened and went outside. Almost immediately, a mortar round crashed through his hut, destroying his cot. Had he not gotten up and moved, he would have been killed. With tears in his eyes, he smiled and said God is so good. Stac answered, “He certainly is.” Mike hugged her, and they parted with Stac, saying if we don’t see each other again, we’ll see each other in heaven.

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12/31/2022 1 Comment

Schlep Naches

Schlep naches is a Yiddish phrase that means “deriving pleasure from the achievement of others.” In her book, The Myths of Happiness, Sonja Lyubomisrsky wrote:
The surprising finding is that the closest, most intimate, and most trusting relationships appear to be distinguished not by how the partners respond to each other’s disappointments, losses, and reversals but how they react to good news. Flourishing relationships have been revealed to be those in which the couple responds “actively and constructively”—that is, with interest and delight—to each other’s windfalls and successes . . . Both men and women who say that their partners respond in this “active-constructive” way report the highest levels of satisfaction, trust, and intimacy in their relationships.

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11/29/2022 0 Comments

Give Her a Coin

First Sergeant Eric Johnson was tired of spending Saturdays inspecting the 98 dorm rooms occupied by his airmen. Most of the rooms were a mess, and it did not seem like inspecting was making a difference in improving standards. So the innovative senior master sergeant went out and bought coins. After the next inspection, he arranged with a warrant officer to have a female airman show up at the company headquarters without explaining why. Everyone thought she was in trouble. When Eric arrived, he announced that she had the most squared-away room, and he gave her a coin with her name inscribed on the back. His action gratified her, and word spread like wildfire through the dorm residents.

Three weeks a month, Eric inspected one floor (about 32/33 rooms). Each week, he gave out a coin with the inscribed name of the airman with the cleanest room.  Soon, he had to put names in a hat and draw the “lucky” winner because the rooms were so clean. It was not long before Saturday inspections passed quickly, and Eric could golf or do other enjoyable activities. Before he left that assignment, Eric hosted a barbecue with invitations to coin holders only to honor and bless them for their efforts.

Meditation
Matthew 16:27--For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will reward each according to what he has done.

We can learn so much from what Scripture does not say. Jesus did not promise that He would return with His angels in God’s glory to torch lazy Christians and punish all those who performed poorly in the faith. He incentivized all of us to look forward to His return with the promise of reward. We work harder when we know there is a benefit coming. To incentivize is to motivate people to perform beyond what is the norm. Rewarding people for greater effort is far better than punishing them for substandard effort.

Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz observed in The Power of Full Engagement, “Extrinsic rewards have actually been shown to undermine intrinsic motivation.” Edward L. Deci opined in Why We Do What We Do, “When people proffer rewards without intending to control there is less likelihood that the rewards will have deleterious effects.” In essence, wisely use rewards for appreciation and motivation, but not to manipulate or control. Eric changed an entire culture by investing at his own expense in a token coin. Imagine how great Christ’s reward will be to His followers who are willing to lose their lives for His sake, willing to deny themselves, pick up the cross, and follow Him (16:24)!

Inspiration
“What gets rewarded gets repeated.”—James Robbins in Nine Minutes On Monday

©2022 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed, subject to the inclusion of this copyright notice.

Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)

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10/10/2022 0 Comments

Trees and Fungi

Suzanne Simard is the tree professor at the University of British Columbia.[1] She discovered through her research that yew trees communicate chemically through fungi with their neighboring trees for mutual defense. Trees are connected below ground through a fungi network that resembles the human brain’s neural networks. For example, Simard observed a Douglas fir injured by insects that seemingly passed chemical warning messages to a nearby ponderosa. The pine tree produced defense enzymes that protected it against insects. Similarly, birch trees protected fir from Armillaria root disease. When trees are dying, they pass off as much as 40% of their carbon to their neighboring trees.

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1/31/2022 0 Comments

Don't Get Agitated!

Do you know someone who constantly bothers you? Are there people who consistently distress your life by their words or actions? If this is your experience it is not unusual. I am pretty sure almost every human on the planet gets agitated—some on a daily or hourly basis! What causes such tension? Immaturity, unnecessary volume, rudeness, dangerous driving habits, failure to learn and correct mistakes, claiming to know what someone thinks, not listening . . . the list can be annoying long.

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11/29/2019 0 Comments

The Blessing of Inconvenience

The roads were a mess after over a foot of snow fell on the Rockies so I had to be careful driving to the Urgent Care facility. It was not the way I wanted to spend Thanksgiving morning but with a sinus infection and an international trip only two days away I knew I needed to get medicine—fast! The clinic near our house was closed but a sign outside gave an address and time for the only operational urgent care in Colorado Springs. So I drove there. A friendly staff efficiently processed me and I was impressed with the care I received. Unfortunately, only one drug store was open where I could get a prescription filled and it was nowhere near home. But, it was open and that was amazing. Ninety minutes later I was home with my prescription.

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7/12/2019 0 Comments

Gratitude

Meditation
Colossians 3:16--Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God.

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10/31/2018 0 Comments

Be Like Paul

Meditation
1 Timothy 4:16—Pay close attention to your life and your teaching; persevere in these things, for by doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.

The Apostle Paul wrote his protégé Timothy to encourage him but what makes his words so powerful is his own example. He faithfully paid close attention to his life and his teaching. Next to Jesus, the case could be made that he influenced Christianity worldwide through his leadership more than any other man. His epistles continue as vital roots of the worship, theology, and pastoral life in the Catholic and Protestant traditions of the West, and the Orthodox traditions of the East.

What made Saint Paul such a strong leader was that he:

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7/28/2018 0 Comments

Be Like Daniel

Meditation
Daniel 1:17—God gave these four young men knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. Daniel also understood visions and dreams of every kind.

Daniel, probably in part because of my given name, has always been my hero. In studying his Old Testament prophetic book that contains his story, there are at least five superb applications that ought to inspire us to be like him.

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7/20/2017 0 Comments

Praising God's Greatness

Meditation
Psalm 145:1—I exalt You my God the King, and praise Your name forever and ever.

Psalm 145 is one of my favorite psalms in the Bible. Aside from the eleven different verbs or participles used to praise or recognize God, the entire twenty-one verses are a tribute to God’s greatness. The predominant verb is the word praise (used six times). In addition, the words exalt, honor, declare, proclaim, speak, give a testimony, sing, thank, and informing, are used in the Holman translation. Five times God’s greatness is specifically highlighted.

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4/20/2017 0 Comments

In Private

There is a popular phrase passed along by leaders, “Always praise publically, criticize or correct privately.” Unfortunately, this gets violated all too often in organizations where insecure or unthoughtful people publicly criticize employees, family members, or co-workers. I once had a fellow team member complain to the program director over his offense at some of my closing remarks. Rather than just come and tell me, he went “over my head.” When the director mentioned his complaint to me I was surprised and lost respect for a fellow leader who prides himself in leading yet was unprofessional by not speaking directly to me.

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5/28/2016 0 Comments

Incense--Fragrant Prayer

Walking into my office downstairs I was immediately aware of a great aroma. That observation was quickly followed by one of relief. I had left my fragrance lamp on all night and that could have been a fire hazard. Fortunately, the melted eucalyptus/mint-laced wax cubes created a wonderful scent and nothing had overheated.

Meditation
Psalm 141:2—May my prayer be set before You as incense, the raising of my hands as the evening offering.

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5/9/2016 0 Comments

When the Crowd is Amazed

Meditation
Matthew 9:32-34—Just as they were going out, a demon-possessed man who was unable to speak was brought to Him. When the demon had been driven out, the man spoke. And the crowds were amazed, saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!” But the Pharisees said, “He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons!”

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