In less than 48 hours I’m beginning to see the garment of praise as something very different than what I would have expected. I thought it has to be the way I pray. The way I approach our heavenly Father. It is, but not only that. The garment of praise is quite encompassing. I’ve been watching various videos, reading blogs, reading verses, etc. It is forming a shape that looks like praise is how we live. It’s every aspect of our lives. It’s our relationship with Him.

Without going into detail, my employer right now is being rather difficult. It’s causing some stress and what-ifs are constantly on everyone’s minds. It’s in this situation that I realized I needed to focus on praise. I’ve given so much of my time and energy to the negative that I’ve forgotten that even the last minute of my life was worth giving praise for! None of us are guaranteed our next moment, so the one we are in right now is priceless and something to be grateful for. It’s easy to get caught up in worry and come up with made up scenarios of how our future is doomed and for me being a mom I’m plagued with past, present, and future mom guilt. What if I lose my job and destroy my family’s life? Well, I guess I don’t have the power to actually destroy anyone’s life, but mom guilt is quite convincing.

I’ve worked a long time to get into the position I’m in now, over 20 years. Lately, despite the recent employer induced stressors, I’ve lived with the thought that things were finally in place. I love what I do in my position and my pay is wonderful. I get paid and have money left over, I’m saving up lots of vacation time, etc. In other words, I have all I need and some, I can rest now. Does that sound familiar? One day the Lord reminded me of Luke 12: 16-21.

¹⁶ And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: ¹⁷ And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? ¹⁸ And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. ²⁰ But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? ²¹ So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Reality check: I don’t know if my soul will be required of me tonight or in the next second. Why am I so focused on the future that is only a guess or worry? I had to and continue to remind myself that He has gotten me through life up to this very moment and if I get the next moment, hour, day, week, year…. that time will be because He allowed it. That is where my focus should remain. I should be praising Him for the past and the present and even whatever may come in the future, I should be praising Him in advance.

He has never failed me, I have only failed Him and when I came to Him in all the sorrow, I had caused myself, He was merciful and extended grace. He patted my back and cleaned up the mess that I made, straightened my path back out and set me on it. The only thing He asked/asks of me is to focus on Him and trust Him. I have to give Him all the glory and praise for that. Maybe that would be an appropriate end to this post.

Heavenly Father, Thank You for all of your goodness and mercy. I am limited in my “humanness” as I often say but all the praise, I can muster I give to you because you are worthy of all of it and more. Please continue to have patience with me. Teach and guide me in this journey to praise you and seek you to the best of my ability. Thank you again, Father. In the name of Yahusha I ask and pray, Amen.