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Praise doesn’t take away from our enjoyment of something; praise adds to our enjoyment of it. Think about it… We can’t wait to share great news. We can’t help but cheer a great play. We can’t stop singing a great song. We can’t keep quiet about a great result, great movie, great experience or a great meal. Praising is the natural response to something that excites and delights us, and it always increases and intensifies our enjoyment of that thing. So, above all, let us admire and applaud our God for Who He is and what He does, that our hearts might explode over His greatness with the greatest of all joys.

God didn’t reluctantly choose you because there was an empty space in His family tree, and He was down to His last option in you. He readily chose you because that spot in His family was reserved especially for you. He doesn’t regret it for a moment, even in those moments when you feel like He does because you have fallen short and failed Him. Because of the moment you put your faith in Jesus… He delights in you. He rejoices over you. He is pleased with you. Whether you stand by His grace and get it right, or fall into His mercy when you get it wrong, you were chosen by God. And He’s happy with His choice.

People go to great lengths to safeguard their money, health, jobs, computers, phones, homes, families, and minds against dangers that threaten their well-being. They look for security in a variety of places like their bank account balances, home alarm systems and workplace seniority. But all of the security measures people take have one thing in common: they can fail at any time, which means they don’t really offer security at all. Real security is having something which guarantees a good future for you that can never be lost by you or taken from you. And that kind of security is only found in the love of Jesus.

A semi-painted canvas doesn’t show the whole picture. A rough draft doesn’t tell the whole story. A list of ingredients doesn’t look like the whole entrée. Similar to these things, you and I are works-in-progress in the transforming hands of our loving Father. And He will continue changing us from who we used to be into who we will be. We are… Unfinished, but not unsaved. Unfinished, but not unfixable. Unfinished, but not unloved. Because God will finish what He starts in you, you don’t have to give in to despair when you stumble in your faith or give up in trying to live out your faith. He isn’t done yet. And neither are you.

Life can be stressful. There are… Problems we can’t solve. Situations we can’t handle. Demands we can’t meet. Changes we can’t avoid. Troubles we can’t escape. As Christians, we aren’t exempt from the stresses of life, but we are empowered to endure them. Real relief from stress comes not from the absence of tense and troubling situations, but from the presence of Jesus with us in those situations. Stressful becomes stress-free when we trust in this: Jesus will be with me. Jesus will help me. Jesus will guide me. Jesus will deliver me. Rest in knowing that you’re not the one who holds it all together. He is.

There is an enormous, eternal difference between knowing Jesus and knowing about Jesus. We can know about someone without being in a personal relationship with that person. So, how can we be certain that we really know Jesus and we are really bound for heaven? We look for evidences that He is changing us from the inside out. Knowing Jesus transforms us into people who increasingly, though imperfectly… Love His family. Desire His will. Value His mission. Treasure His word. Choose His way. Long for His return. Delight in His presence. No one who truly knows Jesus is ever left the same.

All times. All places. All circumstances. That’s when and where Jesus will be there with you and for you if you are trusting in Him. There are occasions so wonderful that you never want them to end. There are occasions so painful that they feel like they will never end. The key to not being distracted by the highs and defeated by the lows is to keep your eyes on Jesus and experience His strengthening, sustaining, satisfying presence in both the ups and downs, the wins and losses, the pleasures and pains. Today, trust and treasure Him. You can rightly go through all things because Jesus goes right through them with you.

The holiest nature. The brightest glory. The highest authority. The strongest power. The wisest intellect. The longest reign. The surest justice. The loveliest artistry. The kindest heart. The closest embrace. The greatest mission. The biggest sacrifice. The finest reward. The fullest grace. The deepest love. God doesn’t just have some of these things, He has them all. He doesn’t just have some of each of these things, He has the fullest portion, capacity, scope and measure of them all. Let us stand before Him today mind blown, hands raised, head bowed, heart stirred, mouth open and declare Him Worthiest of all.

God is able to carry the heaviest burden you will ever face and carry you to the other side by His grace. There is no weapon too powerful. There is no mountain too big. There is no task too great. There is no situation too hopeless. There is no adversary too insurmountable. Not. For. Him. Whatever you are struggling with… God will get you over it, under it, around it, through it, or away from it some way until the day comes when every obstacle has been permanently removed. Rest in this today as you trust the day to God: It may be too much for you to handle, but it’s never too much for Him.

The scoreboard may show us behind, but the game isn’t over yet. The pieces may be a jumbled mess, but the puzzle isn’t assembled yet. The road may seem to lead in the wrong direction, but the journey isn’t complete yet. For those who love Him, God is working ALL things together for an ultimate good. That means there is not a bad thing in the universe that isn’t factored into His plan. Even the difficult things, painful things, unexpected things, and hostile things will work toward a good result, a good fit and a good place for believers. When things don’t seem to be working, let us remember that God still is.