PSALM 34:1-3;8 (NIV) - “I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together…Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.”

Hmmmmm, at all times? Not just when things are going well? So, if my day has started with the coffee pot exploding and the first words out of my mouth spoken in anger? Praise Him then? When I’m laying in a hospital bed, not knowing if I will live or die, Praise God then?

Yep, I believe that is what Scripture tells me, and I have done just that. Now I wish I could tell you I always do that; truth is I don’t, but I believe I should.

I have laid in a hospital bed while a blood clot lodged in my brain and not knowing when I closed my eyes if it would mean I had just seen my husband for the last time. And, yes, I remember praising God…knowing not what my future held, but knowing He held that very future in the palm of His hand.

I remember that day like it was yesterday, not nearly 7 years ago. I can tell you I was terrified. I didn’t feel the strong arms of God around me. I didn’t hear the angels sing, but I KNEW they were there.

There is power in praise and there is power in allowing words of recognition of who God is and what He has done in the world and specifically in our lives.

As the word says, I strive to …praise the Lord at all times; His praise is always on my lips. Glorify the Lord with me, and let us praise His name together. Let it be so Lord, Let it be so.

Submitted by: Michelle Corley