Well Short

Reading: Psalm 9

"I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart;" Ps 9:1

Evaluation:

Praise is expressing to God our appreciation and understanding of his worth. It is saying thank you for each aspect of his divine nature. Our inward attitude becomes outward expression. When we praise God, we help ourselves by expanding our awareness of who he is. In each psalm you read, look for an attribute or characteristic of God for which you can thank him. (from Life Application Study Bible)

Application:

God has never forsaken those who sought after Him. That is the truth of the Word and an undeniable characteristic of God. While this truth is absolute the application of it is complicated. Disappointment is an inescapable reality. I do not know a single person of faith who at some point of their life has not been saddled by disappointment or been left feeling forsaken.

There are two keys to understanding this. The first is my cause must be just. There are times when I truly feel like I am on the right side of an issue only to find out later I was wrong. God will never put is power behind the wrong thing. Second, the Word says those who seek after HIM will never be forsaken. It says nothing about what will happen if I seek after something I want. His ways are not my ways and He often does things that are opposite of what I think should take place.

Prayer:

Father I need for You to judge the things of my heart and open my eyes to see Your truth. Align me with Your plan and purpose. Position me so that I stand fully in Your favor and am able to properly reflect Your glory. Humble me so that I may admit my failures and give me the strength to undo the wrongs I create.

I also ask that You teach me to use circumstances to drive me deeper into Your heart. It is so easy to allow my pursuit of You to be conditional based on what You do for me. It so hard to come to You and only be seeking You. Help me to rest in You and trust You to deal with my life. May my only desire be a drive to know You more.

I pray that You exalt Your name in my life today. Create inside of me a sense of awe, wonder, fear and respect that is so strong it will remind me that the things of man fall well short of the things of God.