How Often Does Your Soul And Spirit

feel like praising and rejoicing in the Lord God Almighty? If you are like the average follower of Christ this attitude is as changing as the rushing of the ocean tide. As she reflected on the great honour of becoming the mother of God's own Son, Mary, in her hymn of praise, indicated that she knew what it was like to rejoice "in God my Savior!” (Luke 1:47).

As Jesus grew up and she had to struggled with the insinuation that Jesus was illegitimate (John 8:41) and as later on she witnessed his crucifixion there must have been times when she found it virtually impossible to praise and rejoice in her God. The inspired words she spoke under the direction of the Holy Spirit at the time of the Lord's miraculous promise did not make her immune to such future struggles.

When thing are going great there is the tendency to be so focused on "what we have accomplished" that one often forgets to thank God and praise him for those wonderful and positive things that are taking place in our lives. It is easy to become incredibly self-satisfied and feel that God owes us whatever we personally desire. This kind of thinking will lead us into a similar trap that the disciples of Jesus' experienced.

One day James and John the sons of Zebedee brought their mother with them to make a request of Jesus. Simply put, their mum asked that her "two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left" (Matthew 17:21) when the Kingdom of God is established. The Scripture does not tell us who came up with the idea. However, one thing is certain the substance of the subject matter was unacceptable in the eyes of their fellow disciples and in the eyes of Jesus himself. Praise and rejoicing had been replaced by personal greed and pride.

The other disciples are described as being "indignant" about the self-centred request (Matthew 20:24). Most likely this was not a righteous indignation based on an attitude of selflessness but rather a response based on jealousy. Probably they had been secretly harbouring the same desires!

Jesus' two fold response was direct and to the point. First, "You don't know what you are asking" (Mat 20:22) and secondly "I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen" (Mat 20:23).

Remarkably, when things are not going well we often find it easier to praise God. Testing has its own way of opening our spiritual eyes and drawing us into a closer communion with God. In the book of Job we read about a man who was going through incredible suffering. His physical tribulations were so great that "he cursed the day of his birth" (Job 3:1) and wailed "Why wasn't I born dead? Why didn't I die as I came from the womb?" (Job 3:11).

However, in his distress, Job though struggling greatly proceeded to make one of the greatest statements of confidence and praise recorded in the Old Testament Scriptures. Responding to the critical comments of a man named Bildad Job stated "But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!" (Job 19:25-27).

Our soul regularly needs to praise and rejoice in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We need to develop and maintain the attitude of thankfulness when things are going well. We also require the discipline to develop the affinity to rise above our troubles and give glory to God in times of bleakness. Unfortunately, neither of these disciplines come naturally to most people and therefore they need to be carefully cultivated within our lives.

Copyright. Bruce January 2006

Note: All quotes taken from the New Living Translation Second Edition.