Blessed Be Your Name

I love this song that reminds me to praise God in good times and in bad:

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

Does God Care About Football?

In talking with my husband this past week about football, he mentioned controversy surrounding players expressing their faith in God. Critics have asked why it is necessary for players to pray and thank God for winning a football game. Does He really care who wins? He has bigger, more important things to deal with.

Yes, football provides us entertainment and it is a game, but let's not forget that the players are also employees. This is the career they have chosen and the work that they do to earn a living. We are called to be employees who are hard working, responsible, punctual, and perform our work to the best of our ability – no matter what type of work we do. This brings honor and glory to God.

Proverbs 25:13, “Trustworthy messengers refresh like snow in summer. They revive the spirit of their employer.”

The question shouldn’t be does God care who wins a football game.

The questions should be: Am I being a blessing to my employer by performing to the best of the ability that God has given me? Am I praying for strength and direction to honor God through my work? Am I thanking Him and giving Him the praise for my accomplishments?

Ephesians 6:7, “Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”

Obedience

Over the years, I’ve kept a journal of written prayers to God, and thoughts on various Bible verses I read. I’ve never been consistent, but I like to look back at what I’ve written and remember what I was going through at the time. Six months ago, I jotted down this thought on Ezekiel 3:18-19:

“I will be held accountable on whether or not I’m faithful to do what God tells me to do. It doesn’t matter what the outcome is, or whether people listen to me. The results do not matter; my obedience does”.

Being obedient is hard. Sharing my faith is hard. Serving God is hard. So maybe that is why this verse struck me back then, and still strikes me now. 

Ezekiel 3:18-19: If I warn the wicked, saying, ‘You are under the penalty of death,’ but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths. If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed me.