How to Keep Praising God
by T. L. Wiens
I listened to a sermon Thanksgiving Sunday on Zacchaeus. The speaker left me wondering about life after his encounter with Jesus. Did the people change their opinion of him? Or did he still reap loathing from others? What was life like after his conversion?
In some respects, the Christian life can be so much like that of a tax collector. So what keeps us going in the faith?
For me, praising God is a big part of keeping my focus on Christ. (tweetable)
And we have a lot to praise Him for according to Romans 8:28-39.
1. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
2. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
3. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
4. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
5. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
6. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.7. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Zacchaeus changed his life but a part of me wonders if there was much change in the way the people viewed him. I hope he glorified God for the rest of His life and in that, didn’t suffer scorn for earthly gain but rather heavenly rewards.
Here is a You Tube “How Can I Keep From Singing” by Chris Tomlin.
Tammy Wiens
Tammy lives in Saskatchewan with her husband. They have four children. She enjoys gardening, walks along the beach and being on the farm. She has a passion for her faith, studying the Bible and prayer.
She has published two books; Where a Little Rain Comes Down and Making the Bitter Sweet. A short story, “May’s First Christmas” appeared in Christmas Chaos, a collection of stories about Christmas experiences that don’t make the fronts of Christmas cards. “Careful What You Whisper” is another short story about Tammy’s experiences after breaking her back. It can be found in A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider. Visit T. L. Wiens for more information about Tammy’s books and workshops.
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