Devotion 40
The Power of Praise
May Jesus Christ Be Praised
When morning guilds the sky,
My heart awakening cries:
May Jesus Christ be praised.
Alike at work and prayer...
To Jesus I repair:
May Jesus Christ be praised.
When sleep her balm denies,
My silent spirit sighs:
May Jesus Christ be praised.
When evil thoughts molest...
With this I shield my breast:
May Jesus Christ be praised.
Does sadness fill my mind,
A solace here I find:
May Jesus Christ be praised.
Or fades my earthly bliss...
My comfort still is this:
May Jesus Christ be praised.
In heaven's eternal bliss,
The loveliest strain is this:
May Jesus Christ be praised.
The powers of darkness fear...
When this sweet chant they hear:
May Jesus Christ be praised.
Be this, while life is mine,
My canticle divine:
May Jesus Christ be praised.
Be this th'eternal song...
Thro' all the ages on...
May Jesus Christ be praised.
Music From the German
Words by Sir Joseph Barnby
Why is it so hard for us to get the message?
When we get the message, why is it so hard to follow through?
How can a day be dreary or dull when we have this marvelous weapon against the darkness of the spirit?
I think I'm learning the answer: This kind of praise is the last thing the enemy of God wants to hear from us. He knows the power it has to illuminate our minds, our spirits, and our hearts with enormous positive energy and strength.
I give in to defeat when I start looking at my feet, when I see only the turbulent waters below me instead of seeing the promise of the rising sun and hearing the call to praise.
The Psalmist David gave us the key to victorious living: "This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)
The key to rejoicing in the day is to remember Who made it.
The key to being glad in it is to remember who is the source of our spiritual equilibrium and daily strength.
Remember that the enemy of God does not sit on his hands, nor does he stand on the sidelines waiting to see whether we will follow the admonition of David. He is in full frontal attack against our spirits. The Apostle Peter put it this way: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour; whom resist stedfast in the faith..."*
I don't know about you, but I have no desire to be his lunch! On of the most effective ways to avoid that fate is to turn my thoughts from darkness to light, the light of praise.
* I Peter 5:8-9a
For Further Consideration
Psalm 23
Psalm 139
[ Home Page ][Bible Study]
