When you are pleased with God, God is pleased.
SHAUNA: Hi, this is Shauna on Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. Don’t you love the name of Jesus? Well then, sing along now with Joni.
(Joni sings:)
Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature
O thou of God and man the Son,
Thee will I cherish, thee will I honor
Thou my soul’s glory, joy and crown.
JONI: I love that hymn because it speaks so wonderfully of the name of Jesus; fairest Lord Jesus. You know, the other night my head was on my pillow, and I was reflecting on the day and all the grace God had given – conversations I had, a phone call I made to encourage a fellow quadriplegic that day and the beautiful sunset Ken and I enjoyed on the way home from work. And as I thought about all these amazing things and more, I just got this feeling that my heart was filling up and spilling over. And even though I was lying there paralyzed, unable to move, oh, my goodness, I was filled with so much joy, it almost brought tears to my eyes, and I kept saying the name of Jesus over and over, telling him how beautiful he is; how he has captured my heart; how delightful he is, and how I adore him and treasure his name: Jesus, Jesus, how lovely you are, I kept whispering. And it seemed the more I blessed his name, the more my mouth was filled with his praise. It was the most wonderful night and I'm happy to say that it happens many more times than not.
It’s like Psalm 71:8 that says, “My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long [I could say ‘all night long’].” And another translation of that says, “This is why I can never stop praising you; I declare your glory all day long.” Funny thing about praise, the more you open your mouth to offer it up, the more you want to do it. The more you prod and push your heart to honor Jesus, the happier your heart becomes, and the more you are filled with praise.
Charles Spurgeon [a real favorite of mine] he once wrote, “Does not all nature around me praise God? If I were silent, I should be an exception to the universe. Does not the thunder praise him as it rolls like drums in the march of the God of armies? Do not the mountains praise him when the woods upon their summits wave in adoration? Does not the lightning write his name in letters of fire? Does not the whole earth have a voice? And shall I, can I, be silent?”
No way, may it never be. When we are pleased with God, God is pleased. It was John Piper who said, “God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in him.” Oh, friend, that’s the way I want to live. That’s why the name of Jesus is so precious, and I hope to you, too.
SHAUNA: And friend, one way to stir praise in your tired heart is to think upon and reflect on the amazing promises of God. Keep praising the Lord and thanking him for his presence, because once you get started, it’s pretty hard to stop. Go to joniradio.org today where you’ll find all sorts of encouragement to prompt your praises. And remember, we praise God for you!
© Joni and Friends