Praise No Matter What
 

Praise No Matter What
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.”
(Philippians 1:12, ESV)
TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

We can learn so much from the apostle Paul. He was deliriously happy and joyful because of what Christ had done in his life. Even when he was chained and shackled in a dark prison because of his faith, Paul praised God and counted it a privilege to deliver the message of the gospel. He had His eyes focused on the prize of eternity! He didn’t let a bad day throw him off course. He didn’t get depressed when people didn’t like him. No, He stood confident in Christ knowing that praise prepares the way for victory!

One thing we know is that you can’t defeat a person who is always happy and praising God. If you are in a battle today, if you need a miracle in your circumstances, follow Paul’s example and open your mouth and begin to praise to Him! Develop an attitude of faith and expectancy. Keep your eyes focused on eternity because when you praise God no matter what, you’ll be victorious no matter what and embrace the good things He has for your future!

Smiling, a remember when. A guy came into a meeting and greeting everyone and said to me, "There is no sense asking you how you are doing, you are always here, you are always good and always smiling." I may say I am feeling "rotten" or "old" or "F.I.N.E." and yet the reality is, I am good, I am clean and sober and I am alive and that is a gift from my God in today, and for that, I am always grateful, no matter what. I always say it with a smile, I call it honesty, and the nice thing about it, is that I don't have to use about it in today. I don't have to pick up over it, no matter how rotten, rotten is in today. Rotten can be anything from a broken finger nail to pains in my chest that takes me to the hospital. Just for today, I choose not to use.

I choose to be honest, I will tell you how it is. I choose to live in reality to the best of my ability. I choose to acknowledge things, and by doing so, I can let it go. By hiding it, and keeping it secret, I stay sick and I walk in darkness instead of the light. For me that is the freedom of recovery.

Just because I am a few weeks from being 73 and a few months from being 23 months from being clean and sober, doesn't mean I still can't hurt, make mistakes, and not measure up to mine and other peoples' expectations. Yet I have to give praise to my God for have gotten me here, because I sure didn't think I would get to be 50 and I didn't think I would get to one year sober.

So glad this is one day at a time program so I can praise Him every day.