I will love You, Lord, always
Not just for the things You’ve done for me
And I will praise You all my days
Not just for the change You’ve made in me

I’ll praise you for You are holy, Lord
And I’ll lift my hands, but You are worthy of so much more
For You are awesome, God of the Nations,
Lion of Judah, Rock of the Ages, Alpha, Omega
You’re worthy of all praise
More that these hands I’ll raise
I’ll live a life of praise

I will serve You, Lord, always
For You are my strength
When I am weak
I will never be afraid for You are my rock and You protect me

But I’ll praise You for You are holy, Lord
And I’ll lift my hands, but You are worthy of so much more

 Singer/Songwriter: Mark Hall along with Casting Crowns

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.
For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.
Psalms 95:2-3

When I am weak and weary, all I need to do is put on a song of praise…it instantly gets my heart and my thoughts on the goodness of Jesus.  I have heard it said that ‘a heart full of gratitude begins when my sense of entitlement ends*’.  Even in the midst of the most difficult of circumstances we have so much to be thankful for!

All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people
may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away,
yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
2 Corinthians 4:15-16

It is in the hard stuff that we are renewed and strengthened day by day. God is our Strength when we are weary.

The LORD is my Strength and my Shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.
Psalm 28:7

When I think of strength and being strengthened I think of a mighty oak tree. May this poem about the mighty oak tree encourage you this day… I know it blessed me!

The Oak Tree
by Johnny Ray Ryder Jr.

A mighty wind blew night and day
It stole the oak tree’s leaves away
Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark
Until the oak was tired and stark
But still the oak tree held its ground
While other trees fell all around
The weary wind gave up and spoke.
How can you still be standing, Oak?
The oak tree said, I know that you
Can break each branch of mine in two
Carry every leaf away
Shake my limbs, and make me sway
But I have roots stretched in the earth
Growing stronger since my birth
You’ll never touch them, for you see
They are the deepest part of me
Until today, I wasn’t sure
Of just how much I could endure
But now I’ve found, with thanks to you
I’m stronger than I ever knew

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Heavenly Father, I thank You that when we are weak You are strong.  And that no matter what we are enduring we KNOW You are faithful!  In Jesus’ Name!!  Amen!!!

* quote from Steven Furtick