The Reset You Actually Need

You did it! You made it through another school year!

Congratulations!

Give yourself a moment to look back over the last ten months. Even if your life does not ebb and flow with the school calendar, it is fitting to think of what has passed and what God has brought you through. How have you served? What have you gained? What have you lost? Who have you loved? What have you learned? Who walked beside you? Praise the LORD!

Summer is coming. It’s touted as a time of relaxation, but every mom knows that summer means getting kids into more activities, making more meals, cleaning up more messes, and listening to more noise. Then there are expectations for amazing adventurous vacations which come with planning, packing, paying; even more noise. 

After that? Another school year with its challenges.

Take a minute and consider:

How will you serve?

What will you gain?

What will you lose?

Who will you love?

What will you learn?

Who will walk beside you?

Praise the LORD!

I spent the last ten months studying the book of Psalms, and though I sometimes found it to be a bit redundant, the repetition has drilled into me the need to praise the LORD.  When life is easy, praise the LORD. When life is difficult, praise the LORD. When life is messy, praise the LORD. When I don’t see a way through, praise the LORD. When I find beauty, praise the LORD. When I am alone, praise the LORD. When I am surrounded with friends, praise the LORD. When I am surrounded with enemies, praise the LORD.

I think I discovered a key to how David and the other psalmists were able to return to praise, no matter what they were facing. They knew God’s character!  When they were inspired by beauty, they praised the Creator. When they were treated unfairly, they praised the Righteous Judge. When they needed rescue, they praised the Savior. Again and again, they acknowledged who God is and how He could meet their needs.

In my life group recently, we went around the class, repeating the sentence “God is ___________” and each person filled in the blank. It was wonderful to see everyone was smiling long before we made it all the way around the circle! Try it with your friends, or just see how many ways you can complete the sentence!

Psalm 147:1 says, “Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant and praise is becoming.” (NASB) I love that word, “becoming”. Some translations say “fitting” or “proper”.  And it is fitting, proper, appropriate to praise the Lord no matter the circumstance, but “becoming” is a bit richer. It may be an old-fashioned usage, but think of when someone has said something like, “That blouse is very becoming on her. It brings out the blue in her eyes.”  Or maybe, “That dress is so becoming on you; it flatters your figure!”  Psalm 33:1 puts it this way, “Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones; praise is becoming to the upright.” Praise is becoming to all of us! It accentuates the Holy Spirit within us and lets His love through so we shine with His beauty. It is very attractive to fellow believers and to the unsaved.

Listen to Psalm 150, the last in the book and an excellent send-off. I hope it encourages you to stop and take a few moments throughout the summer to read a psalm or two and to stop, no matter where you are and who you are with, to think about who God is and find time each day to praise. Maybe even make some noise!

Praise the LORD!

Praise God in His sanctuary;

Praise Him in His mighty expanse.

Praise Him for His mighty deeds;

Praise Him according to His excellent greatness,

Praise Him with trumpet sound;

Praise Him with harp and lyre.

Praise Him with timbrel and dancing;

Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.

Praise Him with loud cymbals;

Praise Him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD!