I wonder, what is praise?
I used to think praise was shouting God's name from a rooftop, exclaiming at how amazing and wonderful He is, showing everyone around you a smile. I thought it was prayer, and I thought it was something extravagant and simplistic. Almost like a ritual of thanks.
Then one day a person came into my presence and shattered my whole world. My whole outlook on God.
I realised that praise was not excited shouting. It was much, much more than that.
God was there in the beginning when there was nothing. He was there causing the universe to happen. He was the spark.
And in the Aeon's that followed, the world was formed. And humanity inhabited it.
The first pair of humans were sat in a garden of splendour, like in a womb; sheltered from the outside world. Sheltered from sin and hate and spite and all the things that make our Earth such a saddening place at times.
They had joy. And a personal, beautiful sinless relationship with God.
And then the tester was allowed to show in their company.
And he tested them against the one simple command they had been given. And the woman was deceived. And in turn the man followed suit.
And they knew they were naked. Uncovered. And shamed.
And for thousands of years God gave command after command to humans for it to be broken. Humanity was cursed, confused and lost.
Then He sent His Son. And the Son of God came and fulfilled the debt that was owed for sin and left us with one pair of commands.
Simple commands.
Love God, and Love thy neighbour.
And throughout all my years I thought loving God was about knowing the bible. About being right. Simply about believing it, and exclaiming it.
And then my view was utterly destroyed and built anew.
And I realised, faith is not some mystic belief. It is action.
I realised love is not some shallow word, it is everything.
I realised that righteousness is not about being above, but below.
I realised that it is not about a destination, it is about a way of life.
I realised that my only real trial is within myself.
It is not about 'This has happened to me, God help me'.
It is about 'God wills this to happen to me otherwise it would not be. How can I react in love?'
I realised the perfection of it all.
I used to think praise was shouting God's name from a rooftop, exclaiming at how amazing and wonderful He is, showing everyone around you a smile. I thought it was prayer, and I thought it was something extravagant and simplistic. Almost like a ritual of thanks.
Then one day a person came into my presence and shattered my whole world. My whole outlook on God.
I realised that praise was not excited shouting. It was much, much more than that.
God was there in the beginning when there was nothing. He was there causing the universe to happen. He was the spark.
And in the Aeon's that followed, the world was formed. And humanity inhabited it.
The first pair of humans were sat in a garden of splendour, like in a womb; sheltered from the outside world. Sheltered from sin and hate and spite and all the things that make our Earth such a saddening place at times.
They had joy. And a personal, beautiful sinless relationship with God.
And then the tester was allowed to show in their company.
And he tested them against the one simple command they had been given. And the woman was deceived. And in turn the man followed suit.
And they knew they were naked. Uncovered. And shamed.
And for thousands of years God gave command after command to humans for it to be broken. Humanity was cursed, confused and lost.
Then He sent His Son. And the Son of God came and fulfilled the debt that was owed for sin and left us with one pair of commands.
Simple commands.
Love God, and Love thy neighbour.
And throughout all my years I thought loving God was about knowing the bible. About being right. Simply about believing it, and exclaiming it.
And then my view was utterly destroyed and built anew.
And I realised, faith is not some mystic belief. It is action.
I realised love is not some shallow word, it is everything.
I realised that righteousness is not about being above, but below.
I realised that it is not about a destination, it is about a way of life.
I realised that my only real trial is within myself.
It is not about 'This has happened to me, God help me'.
It is about 'God wills this to happen to me otherwise it would not be. How can I react in love?'
I realised the perfection of it all.