Praise God

In the last month or so:

• My laptop died
• My copier/scanner bit the dust
• My pressure washer hose broke
• My smart phone messed up
• Our van needed repairs
• Our van had to have a tire replaced
• Then it to have another tire replaced on the same rim
• Then that brand new wire blew out on me in Wadesboro
• I put the spare on and it was flat
• I was driving my dad’s truck near Carowinds and one of his tire’s blew out
• My back went out on my 45^th birthday and I’m still recovering
• And yesterday our microwave died

Can I tell you how frustrated I am? Then my niece told her father that I must be living right because the devil sure is attacking me. I certainly don’t know about that, but it does remind me of Job who lost his family, his health and his wealth and he WAS a man who lived right. And he lived right and praised God through all of the tragic junk he endured. By the end of his life God blessed him with double what he had before the trials began.

That must be the correct strategy for a believer to adopt. Praise God through your problems. Though He gives and takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord. That’s what Job said and it worked for him.

And I can look at my laundry list of troubles and still find reasons to praise. My laptop died, but my brother in law prepared an extra he had and gave it to me to use. My smart phone messed up, but I had an upgrade available and I got a new one at no cost. I blew out two tires driving 60 mph, one with my entire family plus my mother in law with me, yet God protected us from an accident when the tires did blow. And as you can see, most of my misfortune is related to stuff. Stuff can be replaced with money and my God owns the cattle on a 1000 hills. He knows that I have to provide for my family and I will choose to believe that He will take care of me. I have a great wife and 3 beautiful, healthy, well-mannered children (including 2 teenagers believe it or not) who have a house that’s cool in the summer and warm in the winter and food to eat during all of the seasons. And as my wife reminds me, our time here on earth is short and then we have eternity in Heaven.

I have plenty of reasons to always praise God…and not one good reason to let one ounce of complaining drip from my lips.