Text: Nehemiah 12:27-47, Psalm 16:1-11
After months of toil and years of living in and around a broken city, Jerusalem is done. Complete in record time. People are in, the temple is ready.
What happens next? A giant celebration of the Lord’s faithfulness to provide and protect them during this time! But this was not just a party. This was a dedication.
You see, Jerusalem wasn’t simply a city. It was the holiest city on earth. It was God’s chosen city for His chosen people. It deserved to be treated as such. We read in the verses about rituals that were followed, special people who were invited, traditions that were kept. The Israelites, though known for their grumbling in most of their stories before, knew this dedication was of the utmost importance to get right. Not to show off. Not to follow rules set by man. But to show their God they truly loved and appreciated what He had done for them.
I wonder in our lives how often we stop to give the Lord our very best in thankfulness. When we avoid a car accident, when our child gets well, when that house we wanted becomes ours. There isn’t anything wrong with a quick, “Thank you, Jesus” in a stressful situation. Yet, do we follow up? Do we take time to reflect on the blessing given to us, to come before God with the very best?
In this age where things move at the speed of light, it’s so easy to pass over any kind of preparation as we come before God. But when we thank Him, it’s important to slow down, to take time to fully comprehend just what we’ve been blessed with and did not deserve. It’s important to take time to see the miracles in our lives that we miss when we just rush past.
Let us still our hearts before the Lord and pray with the Psalmist, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” (Psalm 16:2) Amen.
Leave a Reply
68 thoughts on "come before him with thanksgiving"
Top-notch information it is really. I’ve been awaiting for this information.
http://www.edsheeran.co.uk
I just read Philippians, while in prayer closet. Them came across this blog and what a blessing to read and the wonderful comments. I am thankful that I can come to the Lord with all my concerns and lay them at His feet. I am thankful to be able to come before Him with a clean heart, do the shed blood of my Lord. I am thankful to run to Him when I struggle, and surrounded by many troubles. I am thankful that He is here and with me, and show Himself strong on my behalf… there isn't enough words to explain my gratitude that I feel in my heart now. I will offer what I can and express to him with my praise of His greatness. Their is none other than Him, my Jesus my God.
Amen Sandra!! Y
Amazing how God works! Today he has been calling me back toward himself. I have been raking myself over
the coals. Begging for forgiveness and bowing down to heaven.
Then I go to catch up with the "SheReadsTruth" community and devotional and he has these treasures to remind me
of!
He reminds me to live and breath in his holy City, to be in the world but not of it.
He reminds me to live and breath in thanksgiving!
What an amazing God who continually draws us back to him!
Dear Heavenly Abba,
Thank you for being patient with me! Thank you for forgiving me,
for drawing me back to you, and for loving me when I don't
deserve it!
Thank you for showing me my sins, so I can repent of them.
Thank you for this Bible study on line.
Thank you for being a true friend to me!
In Jesus Christ's name,
Amen
I’m behind. Trying to catch up before the new study begins. It’s tempting to rush through these days and miss the message.
I’ve cried and prayed and thanked…. And wash, rinse, repeat. And how I’ve needed to hear (again) how faithful He is and that I’m not forsaken.
But oh how I am pierced by “the Israelites are known for their grumbling'” and how ‘they had to cast lots as to who would live inside the walls’ cuz let’s be honest. 1) I’m as crumbled as the walls, in ruins waiting for someone to rebuild me, protect me and 2) I don’t volunteer for the work or to stay there once rebuilt.
Stuck in that cycle of, forgetfulness, faithlessness, carnality; remembering, repentance, rejoicing… Wash, rinse, repeat. Every day, week, month, year, hour that passes.
And it’s easy for me to get stuck on the spin cycle where there’s no real or lasting progress in my walk. Although I look at the journey and see how far I’ve come; I tend to focus on the road ahead. Where I can’t see the light in the distance. And why is that? I wonder? Why can’t I see that far?
Reminder to self: i’m not supposed to have that ability. I can’t see the light in the distance because THE LIGHT is with me here right where I am. Shining on His perfection. His strength in my weakness. His righteousness that covers my shame. Where there is no condemnation. But there is the choice to live inside the walls and worship. Today. Right now. I volunteer. :)
Shelly, thanks so much for sharing! I love what you said at the end of your post-The Light is with us right where we are! And we are here, grumbling, trying, starting over and over and over-together. As his people. Praising for your choice to worship!
PS-no need to rush through, the study will still be here! :)
XO-Kaitlin for She Reads Truth
This is what hooked me "There isn’t anything wrong with a quick, “Thank you, Jesus” in a stressful situation. Yet, do we follow up? Do we take time to reflect on the blessing given to us, to come before God with the very best?"
I fall short
Now that I have two daughters…just reading Tina's post has all my fears and insecurities rise and bubble up. Your confession pulled strings in my mother's heart…painfully. I take it as a reminder that we owe nothing in this world and we must never attach ourselves to things or people, even our own children, put God first. I have recently begun to meditate on the fact that my parents, my husband and my children are all a loan from God (it only comes natural to think that we own them, right?), so all together we can work towards His higher purpose. I must sing praise for each day we spend together in a family. This truly puts my daily grumbling into perspective. Now that my girls are peacefully asleep, I look at my messy house and I feel the love of God, his blessing upon me. Thank you Lord for this amazing gift of family you have given me.
God bless you Tina. Thank you for your confession sister, may God multiply your strength and devotion. Much love!
From our scripture today:
"Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge." No matter what we face each day in our circumstances, there will always be refuge for us in God.
"You make known to me the path of life;" No other path will lead me to the life that is best for me.
"…in your presence there is fullness of joy;" With God, there is no lacking of joy. We experience it fully, when we seek Him with an open, trusting heart.
"…at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." God wants to give us a life full of pleasures, both in this world and in heaven. His pleasures will stay with us forever, once we accept His grace and forgiveness.
It's so easy to type the words and then inevitably, gradually walk away from God's path, to seek other sources of joy, to fail to thank God fully for the blessings He provides, to return to a dark place of fear or pain or worry as we try to "figure it all out." Diana is so right – too much of our lives takes place in a rush from one thing to the next, whether it's one appointment to the next or one thought to the next. Becoming a part of SRT has helped me to learn how to still my heart, but I know I have a long way to go towards really quieting all the noise around me and in my head. I am reading a lot these days about being, and truly living, in the present moment. Again, so much easier said than done, at least for me, but I am learning that in the present moment is where God really lives in me and speaks to me. The present moment is where I can really open my eyes to all of the blessings He has given me, the pleasures He provides to me, the refuge He holds for me, the fullness of joy with Him, the safe and wide path He makes for me. Thank you Lord for hemming me in, behind and before, and for teaching me to look for you in each present moment. Please keep teaching me. Thank you for this wonderful community of sisters sincerely seeking to live a better life in Your name, for Your kingdom.
"Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God." – Dr. Maya Angelou
Father, help me to thank you even in the stressful, chaotic times. Make me your servant, and remind me of your faithfulness even now. Praise you, Lord.
Couldn't have asked for a better word today. Something I've needed to really stop and think about that I never really thought of before! Thank you God :)
I was stuck on this verse today… "After the priests and Levites had purified themselves, they purified the people, the gates and the wall." Nehemiah 12:30
I love that it specifies that we need to be right and clean before blessing or 'purifying' anything else. :)
I am saddened to hear if the passing of the great and inspirational Maya Angelou…..an example of thankful …..I saw her recently with Oprah, saying something like….be thankful, when you get what you ask for…or not, when you are released from your job, be thankful to your bosses for setting you free for that something better that is coming …….
A GREAT woman….she has returned to her All….as she put it….she's gone home….AMEN….x
What a great reminder! I have been convicted of this lately as well. I often shoot up a "thanks God!" quick prayer, but He does SO MUCH for me every single day, that I need to come before Him daily and thank Him for His goodness and reflect on all He has done.
Yes, the rewards of being obedient in our thoughts about The Lord are unlimited.When a I have taken time to BE with him in worship, my body does rest secure.Ps.16. The more I focus on putting this first in my day, the more I want to stay in that posture throughout the day. I am waiting on The Lord for the fulfilment of a prayer I have been praying for a long time, My BIG ask. On that day I will have more reason to rejoice ,but in the meantime I have this beautiful place in my day to let HIM remind me of HIS constant guidance and love for me.
APPRECIATION! The recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something. -Oxford Dictionary
Just one of the many definition of this word; it struck me. Am I giving God his due recognition? Am I basking in delight over his good qaulities?
My word for the day is APPRECIATION–and theses are just some of the characteristics of my God that I am grateful for:
A ttentive
P owerful
P erfect
R ighteous
E xcellent
C aring
I ncorruptible
A ble
T rustworthy
I ncredible
O mnipotent
N uturing
Wow. This has inspired me to reflect on the Lord's attributes and to praise Him for them. Praise the Lord for you, Valanne. This is a wonderful way to remember His goodness. Be blessed today.
Valanne, I just love that you did this. I am totally stealing this idea. Thank you so so much for sharing this. I desperately need a task like this to cause me to focus on who God is instead of focusing on how I feel right now. God is God regardless of how I feel. He doesn't change, though my feelings are fleeting. He is good even when I am not.
Blessings to you this day – and thanking God for this bit of inspiration.
Janee you so so welcome. I kind of feel like an acrostic geek. I enjoy making them for things that are important to me, even read one at a memorial service once–did I say geek? I did 'appreciation' once for my pastor, but at the time (some 15 years ago) I never thought about doing one for God. The fun thing was, there were so many attributes I could have reflected on with this one word! Steal away :)
Amen, amen!
Currently. My family is going through some hard junk, but since I am seperated from it a bit, I can see how it is good. God is growing them, molding them and doing a good word. Essentially, He is making something beautiful with the ashes. I long to be able to look through the trials and hard stuff in my life and see how God is at work. May we all have a heavenly mindset and focus today and everyday. Let us be thankful for the trials,because that reveals a deeply embedded faith in our God.
Amen. Id often say give thanks at all times in all things. Im blessed by this this morning for it confirmed my post yesterday. Visit WordUp ministry on facebook https://m.facebook.com/greenkimone thats my page where I share the word of God each day and yesterday's topic was giving thanks.
We should be able to give thanks to the Lord for everything in every situation. The Word says in all things give thanks for it is the will of God concerning you. In our storms is the best time to give thanks for it proves our faithfulness to God who is a rewarder of such. David says I will bless the Lord at ALL TIMES, His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Its not a if and when I want to or feel like. Worship and giving thanks is a lifestyle. Show gratitude at all times. To be breathing is enough to give thanks for.
If we are complaining like those of the world, what examples are we setting, what light are we shining? They wont want to come and glorify God, for even though we are saved, we seem to be living the same old lives and make God seem unfaithful. Let us put aside the complaining and repkace it with thanksgiving and praising. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord.
God should not only be thanked for what He has done but for who He is. O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good. We serve an awesome and an amazing God who is worthy of all glory, praise, honour and adoration.
Have a wonderful wednesday ladies. God bless you.
Bless you, Kimone. The Lord is doing great things through you! Lord, change my heart and mind to see the fullness of your blessings, so that I may praise you in ALL times, never letting your praise leave my mouth. Praise you.
Its true. We have no good apart from you. Preserve us. Show us the path that brings life. ..not death. Let us offer you not just a thank you…but a humble thanks for keeping us safe. Keep us content through all circumstances. Let us not be shaken from the happiness we find in the lot and portion YOU have provided. Truly Lord no good can we have without you. Do not let us tumble backwards…where we would be like those who do not have you and are full of sorrows. For we have a promise in your presence… fullness of joy.
Beautiful, Megan. Father, continue to lead us in YOUR way everlasting, not our own. As Megan has said, "Let us not be shaken from the happiness we find in the lot and portion you have provided. Truly Lord no good can we have without you." Help us to stretch out, help us to see the fullness of your blessings towards us, father. Grant us peace and your steadfast spirit. I praise You for that, Oh Lord. Let us be yours. Have a blessed day today, Megan! May the Lord bless you abundantly in all things.
One of my favorite things about my church is that it's silent at the beginning. When you first come in, you can talk all you want in the foyer or hall-way, but once you enter the sanctuary, it's silent – no greeting of each other, or stories about our week.
It's not that we have any particular respect for that building or place that demands we be silent. It's simply a time set aside for us to still and prepare our hearts before the Lord before we hear His word and worship Him – to express our thankfulness and acknowledge the things we may have missed throughout the week.
That one little bit of consistent, familiar silence among my spiritual family has revolutionized the way I pray and praise Him.
That's beautiful, EssieJean. I pray the Lord would give us all the patience, peace and silence to be able to see all He's blessed us with and to praise Him as He deserves. Praise you, father God, for all of my sisters here. I praise you for being able to write to another on here, and I thank you for the concept of communication and community itself, that you'd want us as individual beings to be heard and known by You and others, that you'd have languages and words. It's incredible. Praise you, father God. I love you. Help me to worship out of a willing heart, and not out of feeling obligated. You are beautiful, Lord. Be blessed today, sister!
What a great reminder today in the devotional and all of your comments. May all of my online sisters have a blessed day!!
I have received several pieces of good news lately. And I've certainly been thankful for those prayers to come true and have given God the glory. But I also recognize that I spent a whole lot more time praying for them to happen than I've spent thanking the Lord that they have. May I have a renewed spirit where I glorify God in greater degree with my thankfulness than I spent praying for my heart's desires in the first place. Thank you, Lord, for your many blessings!
Amen sister, I join you in prayer this morning for we all fall short in thanking God for the great things he does for us.
As I read, what stood out to me was that their worship, thanksgiving, and tithing were the overflow of joyful hearts (v. 43). God so desires that from us, doesn't he, but how often have I found myself singing a praise song in a church service when my heart is hard, maybe even angry or bitter? How often have I written a check mindlessly just to cross my tithe off a checklist? God desires a heart of joy and thanksgiving, a cheerful giver. I love that worship is Romans 12:2 is defined as renewing our minds, in Isaiah 58 as doing justice, and in Malachi 3 as trusting and testing God with the entire tithe to see if he won't open the window of heaven to pour out blessing until it overflows. Renewing our minds, doing justice, trusting and testing God. . . . all of these things come from a new heart, a heart of joy given us by the Lord. Praising the Lord for that reminder this morning.
Thank you for sharing sister, this is exactly what I needed to hear this morning. Worshiping God for everything he gives us everyday. Worshiping him through the storm and the calm moments, and learning to do it with a cheerful heart.
Father, give me a cheerful heart to give and bless you in all things. Renew my mind! how it needs it! Help me to do justice in all things, no matter what that means for me! Help me to trust you and test you, knowing that you have always, are, and will always give me the desires of my heart as they align with your will! Praise you, father God. Thank you for all things. Thank you.
Thanks for your continued and sweet encouragement, AnnaLee. You are a blessing.
Oh, did I need this reminder. We are so blessed by God, in so many ways, but we take it for granted. Lord, let me marinate in the blessings You give me – help me to thank You fully and meaningfully. I don’t want to just let those blessings pass by, for You deserve all the thanks I can give – and more!
"marinate in the blessing. . . . " love this
Joanne, as a chef…..I can so appreciate your words….'.to marinate in the blessings you give me…..' AMEN…
God bless you..x
Lord, I pray Joanne's prayer as well. Help me to see every blessing around me– and to take it all in slowly, meaningfully, letting it soak into the soil of my soul. Praise you, Lord. Amen.
It is not easy giving thanks in the midst of your storm, but I'm learning! I used to want to wait until the entire issue was resolved before I would say Thank you Lord. But I have learned to give thanks during the baby steps. And this makes the celebration of the "passing of the storm" even greater. It becomes a "giant celebration of God's faithfulness!" Thank you Lord for your faithfulness and for your gentle teachings of thanking you at all times….no matter what it looks like!!
Amen Sweetdes! Lord, let our storms be the places where our eyes open to see your great and awesome faithfulness! Praise you, Lord. Let us rejoice no matter where we are in life. Praise you. Amen.
Point taken. Yesterday and today was so powerful. Yesterday my husband and I got amazing news regarding the cost of my car getting fixed. And when I heard the cost I almost wanted to blame my husband bc of something he did that’s causing the repairs. And I called him and he just said it’s fine, we can pay. But my heart was wrong. Meanwhile, the mechanic was working a deal for me and he only charged us for 1 thing, not the 5 major things he was doing. Gotta work on praising god in a way that I remember so when issues come I can remember that god did it. Pray for me ladies!
Amen! glory to God!
Praying for you Tiffany! We all sometimes forget or are oblivious to the fact that the Lord is blessing us– I know I've definitely been this past season. Father, forgive us! Help us see the ways in which you've blessed us, and help us to know that wherever we're at, you've given us rich blessings! Give us eyes and ears to see them, minds to understand their fullness, and hearts to embrace them with thanksgiving. I praise you for that, Lord! Praise You! Have a wonderful day, sister.
Psalm 16:2~ "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you." Thank you for this reminder to slow down and really consider all that we have to be thankful for! Slow down. Remember. Consider. And then praise God with joyful and overwhelming sincerity and thankfulness. Amen.
I wrote I wrote these words in a birthday memorial in our local newspaper, for my daughter..
Most nights I pray that you will be there in my dreams….You were there last night…How wonderful it was to see you again, to hold you…it felt so real….Your smile, as beautiful as I remember it and more….The Love so strong….You held my hand and I was overjoyed…I woke up….I'm okay….I'm okay…I saw you, I held you, we loved one more time….My prayer was answered….So today I will hold my hands up in praise and thanks to God, who first gave you to me, and has you now, safe, until we meet again in eternity, to love and laugh as we always did….
These were not easy words to write….but they were TRUTH, my truth……Sister's,.I do not write them for effect, rather from the angle of even in the worst case scenario ….giving thanks to the Lord is worship and praise to God who first gave us the blessings in the first place…..and I will forever be thankful to my God for the gift that was my daughter….AMEN…..
P.s…..it has taken years to finally be in a place to be able to worship the Lord in thanksgiving, in my circumstance…..
You are my Lord…ALL the Good things I have come from you…..and boy am I thankful for that…..AMEN.
Thanks be to God for all of you my sister's in Christ…..May He, our God bless you richl today….with love, Tina.xxx
To be able to praise Him in the midst of sorrow. This is my prayer for myself, but it is still gut-wrenching to consider doing. Thank you for sharing, Tina, and for reminding me of the fact that God is a good God in every circumstance. In all things, His purpose is accomplished, even when we find ourselves at rock bottom. Praise be to God!
Stina, thank you for commenting…..I will pray that your gut wrenching feeling will cease and that it will be replaced with God's peace, God's loving arms and a voice that can eventually speak thanks to the God who blesses…..with love to you dear dear sister….x x x
Amen. Tina this is true strength which comes from the joy of the Lord. Losing a child is not an ordinary feeling but through God you are able to be at a place to give thanks where others would be or still is asking Him why. May the Lord keep you as you continue to worship Him.
Recently kimone, I was at a conference, I was stopped by a man who prayed those words over me …(.May)…."the joy of the Lord, be your strength…." Thank you for confirming those words to be……and your encouragement…..God bless you my sister…xxx
Amen! Tina how lovely is it for you to share your story with us and to remind us to worship God no matter what is our cicumstances. Thanks for being an example to all of your sisters. May God continue to fill you with his love and peace. God bless you sister.
Gema,thank you so very much for your encouragement… prayer….and blessing….God be with you too, Gema, blessings….Xxx
Tina, your beautiful, raw, wonderful words move me and filled me with tears. Dreams of passed loved ones are some of the most moving, God-given, profoundly blessing things the Lord has given us in this life… I am in awe of how deep and unsearchable our hearts & souls are, and how the Lord truly does nourish and bless them with every turn as we walk with and in Him. Thank you for sharing this, my dear sister… thank you for praising the Lord about such a deeply painful, complex experience as losing your daughter. Your praise is heard from far, far away, and it gives me joy and hope too. Bless you, my dear sister. May the God of peace keep you and hold you as you walk in Him, and may He keep fulfilling every desire of your heart, so that you may praise Him in the courts of His temple. I love you dearly. Have a beautiful day. xo.
AnnaLee, Praise God for you and your encouragement….you are so wise for your young age….truly a blessing to those of us, you walk alongside …..Thank you so much also for your prayers and blessing…..you are so special and gifted to me too…..I pray God move powerfully through you, in your words and actions….He certainly has BIG plans for you…..Glory to God…Amen….Love you right back, precious child of God…xxx
Tina you are such an inspiration!! You've been through so much and still you continue on. You are one of the SRT Sisters that the Lord had specifically told me to intercede for. Your faith is increasing as your endurance is strengthening. May our Father continue to gather you to His bosom. xoxo
Steph….. God bless you for your kind and encouraging words….Praise God for you and your intercession on my behalf….Wow I am in awe….Thank you for heeding the Lord's request….Thank you Steph…. May the Lord turn His face to shine on you…..God bless you….xxx
I love that their rejoicing could be heard far and wide. I can so relate the grumbling… May theJoy of the Lord be my strength and may my Joy be evident to all.
Amen, sister. Praying this with you today. Have a beautiful day, and may the Lord give you eyes to see it's fullness. :)
Thanks Diane for today’s words- it so easy to let the day to day small things and sometimes even the large things go buy without a crediting thanks to God. A month ago I posted in the comments about #100happydays and it was great today to look back and see all the times I have been thankful to God this month- if you haven’t heard of it why not read more about it here http://100happydays.com or click on my name to get to my blog. Let’s give thanks to God every day and start today!Nehemiah 12:43 NIV
And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.
Thank you for this reminder, Claire! I had been contemplating participating in #100happydays, but I wanted to do it with my heart in he right place, and not just to "show off." Now I feel inspired to participate as a testament to God's good works in my life!
Claire I took the #100HappyDays challenge after you last post about it. I am on day 22. I am thankful that you suggested it because on days when I felt down and depressed it has forced me to find happiness. It sometimes comes from a person, a show, or even a scripture. It is an amazing journey that I will look back over at the end to reflect. Today's devotion had challenged me even more to truly rejoice and praise God above the usual.
Claire I too joined the challenge and it is absolutely a blessing. I have to find something each day and it may not be a person but life itself. My first day I had nothing and I paused for a bit and looked around and my first post was from nature for my hapiness really lies in my existence. Thank you very much and be blessed.
Hi Claire I just joined the 100 happy days challenge, but I'm still unclear about how it works. Can you please explain to me where I'm supposed to post the picture?
Claire, I joined this after you posted it and fell off the wagon early on. : Lord, renew me and give me right spirit, so that I may see and document all of your wonderful blessings, that I may be reminded of your faithfulness! Even if I don't use 100HappyDays, I may blog or journal– whatever it may be, I pray the Lord would show me how I can document his blessings more practically and Praise him for them more abundantly. Thank you for this! Praise the Lord! Love you! Have a great day.
I definitely want to participate in #100HappyDays. I never want my gratitude to God to grow stale. Thank you ladies for your insight.
With all of the choirs, musical instruments and praising of God, I imagine such a goose bump, fast heart-beating moment filled with God's presence. Do you ever get that sort of feeling when you worship God sometimes in church with the words and music filling your soul with amazement? This must have been such an amazing time to be in with all of the joy. And I love the part in verse 43 that says, " And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away." How often do we let our joy be heard far away?
Sometimes as a mother and wife, I find myself grumbling and complaining. I am tired so I'll grumble about the kid's making too much noise or about having to clean up another spill. Sometimes, I find the silliest things to get in a fight over with my husband too. Yet, I really need to just step back and look at my life. God has given me so many blessings: a loving and faithful husband, six amazing and healthy children, a roof over my head, and so much more. Thank you for the reminder to praise God and celebrate all He has given me, even praising Him for the sticky doorknobs and toothpaste covered countertops.
CarrieLynne, I was just thinking about a woman I overheard at the playground yesterday who was talking with a friend, and the every time I caught a piece of her conversation, she was complaining, and I was convicted. How often has that been me…getting together w/ a friend to vent, to let down, to be real, never thinking about who might be overhearing my grumbling rather than my thanksgiving. Thanks for this reminder.
Morgan and CarrieLynne, thank you for your reflections/insights. Morgan, that convicts me also… do others hear my joy from far away? When they see me walking down the street or overhear me talking with a friend, do they hear of the glorious goodness and faithfulness of God? I'd like to say they do… but many times, they do not. This doesn't mean we have to be fakey– that would insult God. But even when I'm in a horrible situation or filled with sorrow, I pray the Lord would give me strength to sing of His praises, so that the whole world may see and know that He is good, even when nothing looks to be good. Worship and thanksgiving in all areas of our lives are apart of being a good witness to others! So important to remember. Praise the Lord for you two; may the Lord bless you richly and may you sing His praises so that the whole world may know. Be blessed today, sisters. :)