I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me. For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout, “Violence and destruction!” For the word of the Lord has become for me a reproach and derision all day long. If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot." Jeremiah 20:7-9

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes." Matthew 22:45-46

WHO: "More than anyone else, the servants of the Lord ought to be involved in the exalted activity of praising God. Each of us who claims to serve the Lord must publicly discharge his or her responsibility. We are best acquainted with the reasons for praising Him, and we are also the best instruments to declare His praise."

WHAT: "The responsibility of the servants of the Lord is simply, "Praise ye the LORD . . . praise the name of the LORD." The repetition of this phrase in a single verse is not without significance. You would think that we who have been saved by His grace would automatically and consistently praise His name. However this is not the case, for we are frequently slow in praising God for His blessings. Therefore the psalmist finds it necessary to stimulate us, to cajole us; and the repetition of the stimulus calls us to perseverance in sounding forth the praises of God."

WHEN: "...He says, "From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised" (Psalm 113:3). This poetic expression indicates that there is never a time of the day, never a waking hour, never an inappropriate moment, when the servant of the Lord cannot praise His name. We are to begin His praise at the very rising of the sun, early in the morning, and we are to continue that praise until sunset. Praising the name of the Lord is a daylong, lifelong privilege."

WHERE: "...Just as there is not a waking hour that is inappropriate to praise His name, there is not the slightest place on earth that is inappropriate to the praising of His name. As servants of the Lord, we are to praise Him continually, wherever we find ourselves."

WHY: "...The reasons for praising the Lord are manifold. He is high above all nations, and His glory is above the heavens. Still He humbleth Himself to observe our affairs on earth. He raiseth the poor out of the dust and the needy out of the dunghill. He makes princes out of paupers and makes the barren woman a homemaker and the mother of children."

...Today would be a good day for us to make a praise list. Just as we have a prayer list, Christians ought to have a praise list, a list of reasons for praising the Lord. Begin with His love for you, His death for you, and His salvation of you, and keep listing things for which to praise the Lord from morning to night." Woodrow Kroll

First off, I started reading my bible passages for today and had a twinge of conviction about being like a pretty pot on the outside, but hollow on the inside. I know that even with my daily journaling, there's always a danger that I could be saying deep things while remaining shallow in my heart. Yes, I want You to work on me Jesus, but I can say it with as much passion as it takes to veg on the couch, wishing for a glass of juice while being totally unwilling to do anything about it. "Yes, Jesus, I want You to work on me, but can You do it while I watch TV?" NO! It doesn't work that way. Yes, God ultimately does all the work through me, but I do have to make the real decisions and be willing to let my mind, heart, and body cooperate with Him. God won't make decisions for me and He's not a puppeteer. Exactly how all that works is hard to conceptualize. But then, it is GOD, not some run-of-the-mill idol we've made in our image. Lord, please forgive me for going through the motions some days. No excuses. I'm just very sorry.

So then I read the Jeremiah passage above and was amazed! The exact same description as Beth Moore has mentioned - a burning that can't be contained. HOW I LONG FOR THAT BURNING! I want so badly to be so filled with Your Words in my mouth and so jittery with Your strength in my bones that I CANNOT HELP BUT DO YOUR WILL! Lord, I am ignited now just thinking about it! Glory to God! I could go on and on about that, but then there's the third part of my discovery.

The Lord wants to "find" me doing His work when He returns. May it be so, and so to the FULLEST, so that at Your return, every breath that goes out from me is a glory to You, and every breath I allow to come back in is Your Holy breath of life.

And finally, the fourth: Who what when where why. And a praise list. Yum. I will do it. But not here.

Lord, help me follow through on the commitment to make a praise list. And help anyone else who happens to stumble upon this entry do the same. Perhaps You have brought them here just for that reason! I praise You, Lord, for You are good. Your love endures forever! I will sing of Your love forever. And I am convinced that "neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Glory, Hallelujah, Amen, and Maranatha!