Bev's List That Transformed Her

My friend Bev told me that about a week after her mother went to Heaven, she was thinking of how carefully God had orchestrated her mother’s death. I wonder if I can think of 100 things to thank God for regarding mother’s passing away, she thought.

Bev began writing and continued until she had listed over 130 ways she saw that God had arranged the details so perfectly for her and her family. After her time of thanksgiving, although she misses her mother, her deep grief was gone.

Our joy and our strength are determined in a large part by our habit of praise. Jesus implied this when He quoted a verse from the Old Testament but changed the word “strength” to “praise.”

Psalm 2:8 says, “Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.”

But Jesus said, “Have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise'?” (Matthew 21:16).

Jesus is saying that even the simple, the toddlers and babes, can stop the enemy with praise.

Although God is present everywhere, He is actively present where joyful praise exists. “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel” (Ps. 22:3 KJV.) “Judah (praise) was his sanctuary (dwelling place)” (Ps. 114:2).

Dear Lord, thank You for always being present when there is joyful praise.

“I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Ps. 34:1).