This time I will praise the LORD

With some rough math, I concluded 120 miles to be about how much I biked this past week. I am feeling it for sure... I think after a week like this I will make it a priority to stretch and get warmed up before I go out. Everything is very tight and uncomfortable.

I know that it my last post I said that Rachel was leaving today. Well, that changed. Their car is having problems and they don't want to risk driving it out west without someone looking at it. Since tomorrow is a holiday chances are they won't even have it looked at until Tuesday. If they are quick they might have it back on the road by Wednesday and leave on Thursday morning. Set backs... got to love them.

I don't remember if I mentioned this, but lately I have been thinking a lot about how I am able to praise God. More accurately, how I can feel satisfied with my ability to praise God. I had thought that you had to have an ability to praise God. I thought that I would need some musical talent to bring praise to God. I thought therefore, that I was incapable of adequately praising God to the level to which he deserves. Through a lot of thinking, a few really valuable conversations about what true praise is, and God working in me I came to remember Genesis 29:35 - "this time I will praise the LORD"

Before this, Leah is baring children in hopes that they will make her husband Jacob love her more. This was not the case, even after quite a few children. She was looking for satisfaction is what she was doing and what love her husband would give her. Then on her last children she quotes, "This time I will praise the LORD" (Genesis 29:35). I personally view this (and I am probably wrong) a real break through in what praising God should be like. No music, no hopes of recognition or reward, no attention on her at all or anything that I personally thought was needed for praise to be given to God. From what I see, she does not even seem to be looking to be satisfied by her action. She simply, willfully, chose to praise God with the attitude revealed in what she said: This time I will praise the LORD.

I thought that when it came to praising God I needed to feel satisfied or have some sort of response because of what I did. I now see that I don't necessarily get anything in return for praising God. Even though nothing is promised to Leah, I find that because I have this new attitude I am more satisfied with what I am doing. I am sure there is something in the NT about this, but that is for another day.

Praise be to the LORD.
Later