Remembering to Give Praise

by Dr. Mel Tavares

Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord: I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; He has thrown both horse and rider into the sea. Exodus 15:1 TLB

Chapter 15 of Exodus records the response of Moses and the people of Israel when the Lord delivered them mightily. There was dancing and singing and shouting as the celebration exploded on the shoreline of the Red Sea. They knew that God had done the impossible, something so big that only He could do, and they were exuberant.

Did you know the Bible mentions singing or praise over 400 times, and that at least 50 of these are commands? This tells me the Lord wants us to give praise and celebrate all that He is doing in and through our lives.

Many times, I have let exuberant praise burst forth from my lips as an answer to prayer has come. Most recently, this happened when the Lord orchestrated an impossible situation involving my heavily damaged car, the autobody shop, and the insurance company. Technically speaking, the older model car should have been “totaled.” To me, the incredibly low mileage and impeccable condition of the ten-year-old car places a much higher value than the market price. Where else will I find such a great car at such a low price? So, as the collision center and insurance adjustor spent five weeks miscommunicating, I kept praying. “Lord, don’t let them total the car. I need approval for them to pay to fix it.”

For reasons unknown to me, the collision center requested only the autobody repair to be covered, and the adjustor approved it. Once the job was complete, the collision center called me and said I would need to cover the mechanical issues, which I refuted, knowing the issues were related to the accident. Dutifully, the request was made to the adjustor for another several thousand, to cover the needed mechanical repairs. When I spoke with the adjustor, it appeared his eyes were blinded to the previous portion of the claim, and he approved the latter request, putting the claim beyond the allowable limit without deeming my car totaled.

What a miracle! I get to keep my gem of a vehicle, now repaired and as good as new. I am still dancing and praising God for allowing miscommunication that leaned in my favor.

Sometimes we have to praise our way through the storms of life, and when deliverance comes, how much sweeter the celebration! Hannah, Esther, Job, and David are good examples of those who praised the Lord through adversity, pain, and loss. Daniel also, who praised the Lord even in his captivity, and Paul and Silas praised the Lord while in jail.

Do you remember to praise the Lord in all circumstances? Do you celebrate with singing and dancing and joyful exuberance when He answers your prayers, regardless of how big or small each seems?

God desires us to praise Him, for He is worthy of all of our praise.

Lord God, I thank you right now for all you have done for me. Thank you for delivering me from situations that threatened to overwhelm me or keep me knocked down. Thank you for the many answers to my prayers, big and small. May I extol you at all times, with your praise forever on my lips.

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Mel Tavares is an accomplished award winning author, speaker/teacher, and coach and counselor both in ministry and in her career. She has invested decades in equipping women from all walks of life to thrive in the midst of their circumstances.

Mel holds a Doctorate of Ministry, is a Board Certified Mental Health Coach, a Certified QPR Suicide Prevention Instructor, a member of the AACC (American Association of Christian Counselors), AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association).

In addition to writing for Arise Daily, she authoring books, is a contributing author to several books, writes for multiple ministries, including the Word of Life Global Youth Ministries. She teaches digitally and in person, conducts Facebook Live series, and is a frequent media guest. Mel is a wife, mom to seven, and grandma to ten. You can find her materials and learn more about her ministry at her website: drmeltavares.com

Join the conversation. What circumstances have moved you to praise God lately?

Christmas: Where the Sacred and the Secular Collide

by Heather Norman Smith

There are two versions of Christmas. They share the same date on the calendar and the same holiday name, but they are two very different celebrations.

First, there’s the holy celebration of the birth of the Christ child—the One who came to rescue mankind from eternal separation from God, demonstrating God’s deep love for humanity. We sing His praises and extol His goodness.

Then, there’s the Christmas celebration where a decorated evergreen tree becomes the centerpiece of our home. We sing songs about reindeer, bake cookies shaped like little men, and stress about finding suitable gifts for everyone on our list.

Through the years, I’ve struggled to reconcile the two Christmases. I tend to focus primarily on the birth of Jesus up until the Sunday before December 25th. Our church play with its nativity images is always the spiritual highlight of the season. Then my mind and heart give way to the excitement of family gatherings, classic holiday movies, and my children’s faces on Christmas morning.

But should there be a balance? Should we entertain that which distracts us from the manger?

Some time ago, I was struck by an unusual comparison: Christmastime is like a wedding with a reception. The vows and exchanging of rings at a wedding are holy, the sacred part. But it is often followed by a let-loose party. The reception is the celebration of what has taken place, though it rarely resembles the ceremony. At the reception, guests focus on the emotion of the day, if not specifically the reason for the emotion. In a similar way, Christmas blends the sacred and the secular; and the latter depends on the former.

All the warm and fuzzy, less-than-holy feelings of Christmas, find their roots in a singular emotion, created by, and embodied in God Himself: Love. We have love because He came. And the joy of the season, even feelings that don’t directly relate to the Christ child (magic, wonder, coziness, generosity, anticipation), are because of Him.

So maybe there is room for the fun of Frosty and Rudolph after all.

Let’s talk about the wedding crashers—unbelievers who celebrate the day set aside to honor Christ’s birth. Our Lord’s name defines this day, yet many who don’t claim Him still celebrate. It’s like not knowing the bride and groom but showing up for the party anyway.

They’ll sing carols and bake cookies, string lights, and give gifts, yet want nothing to do with the Christ of Christmas. But Christ came for them, too, whether they believe it or not. And while true joy can’t be found outside of a relationship with Him, a semblance of it exists in their singular version of Christmas, even when they haven’t met the Source.

Who knows? Maybe they’ll meet Him at the party. When Jingle Bells fades into O Holy Night on the radio, maybe they’ll be drawn to Bethlehem.

A collision of the sacred and the secular at Christmas really seems fitting since that’s what happened when Christ was born. The Holy One took on human flesh. A perfect God broke the plane between Heaven and Earth. The Most High took up residence in a fallen world. That’s the reality of Christmas. Our celebrations don’t have to be at odds when we are secure in His lordship in our lives.

So, as you sing Jingle Bells, think of Him. As you think about the manger, thank Him for the presents under the tree.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17 NKJV

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Heather Norman Smith is an author of Christian Fiction set in her home state of North Carolina. Her goal is to entertain and encourage while illuminating the redemptive love of God. Learn more about her work at heathernormansmith.com and amazon.com/Heather-Norman-Smith/e/B07DWLCXYG.

Join the conversation: What do you prioritize in your holiday planning?

Monday Morning Blahs

by Terri Gillespie

ADONAI [the LORD] delights in those who revere Him, in those who trust in His lovingkindness.  Psalm 147:11, TLV

Ahh. Mondays. For many, it is the beginning of the workweek. The weekend’s relaxation or fun activities are but memories and posts on social media. Time for the drudgery of work, eat, bed, then repeat. All the while counting down until the upcoming weekend.

That’s one perspective of Monday—or whenever your workweek begins.

Did you know the Scriptures only have one day of the week with a name? Shabbat — the Sabbath. According to the Bible it’s the seventh day of the week and begins Friday at sundown and ends sundown Saturday (Genesis 1:5; Leviticus 23:1-3).

What about the other days of the week that we’re accustomed to? The names of the seven days of the week in most Latin-based languages come from the Roman calendar, which related each day with seven celestial bodies considered to be gods: the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. There are other pagan influences that sneak into the names, too.

But according to ancient Jewish tradition, each day of the week is more like a countdown to Shabbat. Sunday is known as “Six Days to Shabbat”, Monday, “Five Days to Shabbat,” and so on.

That simple act shows not only a reverence for God’s very first Biblical festival (Genesis 2:2-3; Leviticus 23:3), but joy and anticipation. Shabbat. A festival celebrated every week. Which is cool.

My parents had friends who were Orthodox sheliachs—emissaries or messengers—from Israel. Yossi and Michal and their children were sent to America to encourage the Jewish community to make aliyah (immigrate) to Israel. It was shortly after the Yom Kippur war, and, well, the locals were not interested. In fact, they ridiculed our new friends and treated them poorly.

Surprisingly, Yossi and his family became good friends with our family—Christians and Gentiles. As a result, they welcomed us into their world and taught us so much about the Biblical feasts. Especially Shabbat.

Once Shabbat was over—on our “Sunday”—Michal was already planning for the next Shabbat. Everything from menus, cleaning, and what fun activities and lessons to teach their children about the love of God. Each day of preparation was special and readied their hearts, minds, and homes for the upcoming festival.

There were no “blahs,” just excitement and discovering new ways to honor the LORD and bless their families, at the next Shabbat.

Now that’s a paradigm change. Every day before Shabbat is an anticipation to rest in the LORD, to praise Him, to fellowship with family and loved ones. We’re not only revering the celebration but revering our Creator — our Abba. This could include walks or visits to the beach to take in God’s creation. Reading. Games. Bringing a meal to someone in need.

According to today’s verse, GOD delights in us with this shift in our priorities to Him. We delight Him!

Have you ever noticed it is difficult to doubt our Father and praise Him at the same time? We can share the whirlwind of our concerns from the week, but our landing place — our resting place — can be praise and celebration in Him.

Praise takes us out of our heads and turns our minds to reverence and trust that He’s got whatever is troubling us. No matter how many times it takes to remind us, our Heavenly Father has us. Perhaps that’s why He set up a weekly reminder—the Sabbath.

And when we rest and praise and worship and celebrate His festival and His family, the Creator of the Universe smiles. I like that.

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Award-winning author and speaker, Terri Gillespie writes stories of faith and redemption to nurture souls. Her novels, devotionals, messages, and blogs have drawn readers to hunger for a deeper relationship with their Heavenly Father, because of His Son Jesus. Her newest novel, Sweet Rivalry, released in October. https://authorterrigillespie.com/terri-gillespie-books/sweet-rivalry/

Sweet Rivalry is the story of twins separated by a troubled mother. One twin is lovingly raised by her grandmother who owns a small-town bakery. The other sister is raised by an addict mother. They discover one another through a televised baking competition. But will rivalry break them apart again?

Join the conversation: How do you make the Sabbath special in your family?

Rejoice

by Dr. Sharon Norris Elliott

When I think of the 4^th of July, I think of back yard barbeques, family and friends getting together, and enjoying a great fireworks show. Despite all of its problems, we find the time to celebrate the United States of America. It’s the only country in the world people are fighting to get into, and I don’t hear of scores of people yearning to get out.

We have something in common with what the Bible has to say about rejoicing. 

Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet, and as I read through his book, I can see why. God’s people had come to the absolute end of His rope, and Jeremiah was the one who had to tell them. God even told Jeremiah not to take a wife or have children in the place where he was prophesying because everyone there would die a gruesome death (see Jeremiah 16:1-4.)

Even then, Jeremiah found something to rejoice about. He says, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts” Jeremiah 15:16 (NKJ).

The Hebrew word for joy (sasown) means gladness and mirth, and the word for rejoicing that is used here (simchah) means exceeding gladness, pleasure, and glee. Jeremiah was able to rejoice in God’s Word. Even though the message was depressing, it was coming from God, and the knowledge that the God of Heaven was talking to him made Jeremiah rejoice.

Psalm 118:24 is a familiar verse that contains a different Hebrew word for rejoice. This verse says, “This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (NKJ). The word for rejoice that is used here is ‘giyl’ and it means to spin round under the influence of any violent emotion. It is realizing that God has made the day and seeing it is cause for celebration!

Even Paul, with all he suffered for the cause of Christ, gets in on the rejoicing act in 1 Thessalonians 2:19 as he says, “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” (NKJ) The Greek word for joy (chara) means cheerfulness, calm delight, and great gladness. The word for rejoicing (kauchesis) carries with it the idea of boasting and glorying in whatever is causing the emotion. Paul finds it a reason for joy that those to whom he preached will indeed make it into Heaven.

So, no matter what’s happening in our circumstances today, here are three reasons to rejoice:

1. God speaks to us through His Word.
2. God has made the day and we’re seeing it.
3. God will embrace those to whom we have witnessed who have trusted Christ for salvation.

In the next 24 hours, I challenge you to live out your rejoicing. Enjoy the 4^th of July, read the Bible, appreciate creation, and tell someone about Jesus.

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: “Live significantly!” That’s the inspiring message of Sharon Norris Elliott, award-winning author, editor, agent, engaging speaker, and licensed minister. Author of 12 books, and associated with several prestigious organizations such as AWSA, ACE, and HSBN.tv, Sharon is also co-director of the WCCW conference. She is founder/CEO of AuthorizeMe® Consulting, Coaching, & Editing Firm and Literary Agency. www.AuthorizeMe.net

Sharon’s latest release, A Woman God Can Bless, walks through the house of your life with you and Jesus. This book will help you ease open the doors of old patterns of behavior, ingrained habits, and accepted dispositions with which you’ve grown accustomed. Within these pages you will find gentle prompts that will help you let the Lord remodel those closed rooms by redesigning your thinking and behavior to line up with His will for how you should then live.

Join the conversation: What makes you rejoice today?