I do not enjoy getting up to a messy kitchen, but this morning that is exactly what I encountered.
Let me explain.
Last night when I was getting the coffee maker ready to go for this morning, I took the coffee canister out of the cupboard and the lid came off spilling grounds all over the counter and filling the sink. Ugh!
I grabbed the Dust Buster and began sucking up all the grounds, until the battery died. I had to plug it in and leave it charging overnight. The grounds on the counter had been swept away but the bottom portion of the kitchen sink is still covered.
Now, this is not life-changing disappointment, not earthshaking in the least. Nothing like what those on the East Coast are experiencing with loss of homes, all their worldly possessions and great loss of life. My little disappointment doesn’t even make a blip on the radar screen.
So why mention it?
It seems so insignificant, but God wants us to keep Him forefront in everything. It’s what comes out of the heart in times like this that matter. God wants us to live in His presence of joy, basking in His goodness, not grumbling and complaining about things. In the monumental or the minute’, the heart attitude is what keeps us centered, full of peace and focused on God’s provision and protection.
Throughout the night the lyrics to a praise song kept coming into my head and my heart.
“We give You the highest praise
We give You the highest praise
We give You the highest praise
Jesus our Savior
You’re worthy of it all” by Phil Wickham
We give YOU the highest praise, YOU are worthy of it all!
When we are meditating on the Word of God, day and night, we keep ourselves in an attitude of praise. We keep our eyes focused on Jesus.
“Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do.” I Thessalonians 5:18 CEV
“Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. 7 Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.” Philippians 4:6-7 CEV
Notice that these verses don’t say that only when bad things happen that we need a stiff upper lip and we praise. No, it says whatever and anything; in other words, in all things, good and bad, we are to praise God and then we will be controlled by peace.
“Shout praises to the Lord! With all that I am, I will shout his praises. 2 I will sing and praise
the Lord God as long as I live…The Lord God of Jacob blesses everyone who trusts him and depends on him. 6 God made heaven and earth; he created the sea and everything else. God always keeps his word.” Psalm 146:1-6 CEV
If you’re in the midst of a terrible time, praise God that He is there with you and has promised not to abandon you but will bring you through it. If you have little annoyances, praise God that He has promised to keep you in peace as you stay focused on Him.
If you have a sink full of coffee grounds, be thankful that you had enough to make the morning coffee.
In everything, yes everything, give thanks for this is the will of God. He is worthy of it all!