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- Apr 25, 2006
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First Things First
'They praised [God] ... because the foundation ... was laid' Ezra 3:11
When Solomon was king he built a massive temple for God using the best of everything, creating a spectacular masterpiece. It took seven years to build. Sadly, years later it was totally wiped out by the Babylonians.
Then came a time later in history when God's people wanted to rebuild it, which was no easy task. They didn't wait till it was finished to start celebrating, 'When the builders completed the foundation of the Lord's Temple ... all the people gave a great shout, praising the Lord' (vv. 10-11 NLT). There was still loads more work to be done but the people praised God. Why?
Because they wanted to celebrate God from the beginning; they wanted to say thanks from the start, not waiting until the end!
When exams loom and you're up to your neck in a pile of books, with endless amounts of course work still to be done and your revision list seemingly endless, it's hard to praise God. All you want to do is cry and shout, 'Help!' You want to make all the work go away - not thank God for it!
But when we praise God from the beginning, three things happen.
One, we trust God to get us through.
Two, we receive strength from God and it makes the task easier.
Three, our outlook changes and what seems impossible becomes possible. When you praise God in the early stages, you work better and the job gets done quicker.
written by Bob Gass
'They praised [God] ... because the foundation ... was laid' Ezra 3:11
When Solomon was king he built a massive temple for God using the best of everything, creating a spectacular masterpiece. It took seven years to build. Sadly, years later it was totally wiped out by the Babylonians.
Then came a time later in history when God's people wanted to rebuild it, which was no easy task. They didn't wait till it was finished to start celebrating, 'When the builders completed the foundation of the Lord's Temple ... all the people gave a great shout, praising the Lord' (vv. 10-11 NLT). There was still loads more work to be done but the people praised God. Why?
Because they wanted to celebrate God from the beginning; they wanted to say thanks from the start, not waiting until the end!
When exams loom and you're up to your neck in a pile of books, with endless amounts of course work still to be done and your revision list seemingly endless, it's hard to praise God. All you want to do is cry and shout, 'Help!' You want to make all the work go away - not thank God for it!
But when we praise God from the beginning, three things happen.
One, we trust God to get us through.
Two, we receive strength from God and it makes the task easier.
Three, our outlook changes and what seems impossible becomes possible. When you praise God in the early stages, you work better and the job gets done quicker.
written by Bob Gass
