Exult can be a challenging word.
Sometimes praise is as easy as inhaling and exhaling. Awareness floods us like a deep breath–renewed awareness that we are loved, that our lives are rich because of all our Savior has done for us, that we have a glorious eternal future.
Other days, the weight of our struggles makes it hard to draw even a tiny breath. We gasp at the sharpness of pain, and our throats close.
Recently as I was studying heaven, I enjoyed thinking about all the things this life has missed that the next life will contain. A new healthy body. A soul unfettered by sinful nature. No more “through a glass darkly,” but full understanding and full experience of the presence of Christ. Hooray!
But I also thought about what this world has that the next one will NOT have. One idea particularly struck me.
In this world, we have the rare opportunity to praise God from the midst of suffering.
We won’t be able to do that in eternity. That realization made me want to take full advantage of these days and hours on this planet. I want to serve and encourage others (in ways that won’t be necessary in the perfection of heaven). And I want to nudge my heart to exult from the midst of the tough stuff. This is our chance to tell God we love Him even though we’re in a dark place. One day, there will be no more darkness.
(Lord, our hearts exult in you today. You are good. Your love is boundless. And we know You have not finished the story of our life yet. In the place we find ourselves today, we invite You to guide and comfort and sustain us, and we thank You for who You are. Amen.)
Blessings!
Follow me on Social Media:
My Dear Sharon, You have again blessed by heart. We both understand struggles and we both love our God fully. We both understand our failures to please Him. We both understand how to praise Him. We both understand His great love for us that is beyond understanding ( you know what I mean). You bring the praise to Him to the forefront in such a beautiful way.
God bless you my friend,
Kathy
Hi, Kathy! I thought the photo did a good job of showing that abandoned and joyous praise. I remember many times of trying to “create” that heart within myself, and I couldn’t. But in His grace, He transforms our hearts so we are able to praise Him “in the midst.” Hope your day is going well! Thinking of you!