Praise that Stays Put
Well now, bless your heart and hand me one of them warm, buttered biscuits before you git seated, friend. Come on over here and make yourself to home on this ol’ front porch like you’re slippin’ right on into an out-of-the-way lil’ ol’ nook where the rockers sway a gentle how‑do‑you‑do and the scent of fresh blackberry jam drifts out of the kitchen like it’s been makin’ its way toward you through the pines since sunrise. Land sakes, you’re a mighty good sight for sore eyes today. If you were any more welcome, that pudgy Billy goat that patrols the yard like he’s tryin’ to be conductin’ official business would mosey right over and offer you the smoothest pinecone he has been guardin’ from every critter in the holler. Pull up a chair, friend, because we’re gonna be sachetin’ into a truth sturdier than a pole beam set down deep in granite soil.
When King David brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, Scripture says, “He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the Lord God of Israel” (1 Chronicles 16:4). David knew somethin’ we often plum forget. Gratitude ain’t just a polite nod toward heaven. It’s downright worship. It’s sho’-nuff’ obedience. It’s the heart bowin’ low before the One who deserves every ounce of praise we can ever muster.
Most of us come to God with requests stacked higher than a lil’ ol’ squirrel’s winter stash. But thankfulness? That sometimes gets plum squeezed in like an afterthought. Yet, the Lord calls us to somethin’ a whole lot deeper. Paul wrote “Oh, give thanks to the Lord” (1 Chronicles 16:8). And the Lord deepens this truth with, “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High” (Psalm 92:1). Gratitude is mighty good for the soul. It plum steadies us. It downright reminds us that God’s goodness ain’t measured by our circumstances but by His character.
Father, thank You for teachin’ me to give thanks with a full heart. Help me praise You more often than I petition You. Let gratitude shape my prayers and steady my spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Alright then, friend, you’ve gotta be letting the Lord fill your day with the calm confidence of a big ol’ raccoon loungin’ on a tree limb like it owns the whole forest. Let His peace settle over you like the hush that drifts across a meadow when the breeze finally decides to rest. And may His joy rise in you with the bright shimmer of a lil’ ol’ dragonfly catchin’ its first glint of sunlight. Wherever your day carries you, let His goodness guide your steps like a faithful ol’ sheepdog trailin’ behind the wagon knowin’ exactly where it belongs. Go on now, friend, and give thanks the way He taught you to give it.
With joy,
Gwen
