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Psalm 146 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long. Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help. When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish. Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord!
If you're seeking happiness, open the cans! And get rid of the can'ts! Happiness comes with an attitude of giving and gratitude. Notice the first verse; twice it says to "Praise the Lord," with your "soul." Praising is a gift. You can't praise God if you say you can't or won't. You give God praise for what God has given you. And, if you want this happiness to last, do this for as long as you live. For the believer has found that one's trust is best place in God and not in other mortals. Mortals have a tendency to disappoint, to fall through, or not show up. Those kind of mortals have a short shelf life, and the psalmist says, they just end up in the earth, dead. Happiness comes to those who know God and God's awesomeness to surprise, astound, and amaze. Just look around today at all that God has made, and you'll see that this same God of creation, is your God of the challenges and chaos in your life right now. God never disappoints, for God is the God of faith. And look at what God has done for you, me, and so many others: Given justice for the oppressed, food for the hungry, freedom for the prisoners, and here is that key thing of this week: vision to the blind. If you're feeling low, God will lift you up. If you're feeling outnumbered, God will turn the tables when God sees your attempts for righteousness in your life. God even watches over the strangers, the orphans, and the widows; God will and does deal with those whose ways are wicked. God is awesome!
Sit quietly and think on all that God has done for you. Does that discourage or encourage you to face today? Think of the awesomeness of God in previous experiences in your life and receive true happiness. Now, practice a smile. Bigger! That's it! Show your pearly whites today and let your soul show the joy that has come from God.
PRAYER: Loving God, may I seek to be the person you created me to be. Let me shine brightly the joy you have placed in my heart. May my content come from righteousness and seeking to be a blessing to You and Yours. This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
