Praise the Lord Anyway

by Alec Niemi

‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.” Zechariah 4:6

Some years ago while we were living in the Gulf Islands, in British Columbia, my brother Tim helped me landscape our yard. I was trying to move a wheelbarrow full of rocks. It was quite heavy and I should have waited for help but I didn’t. I grabbed the handles of the wheelbarrow, lifted, leaned forward, pushed with all my might, lost my footing and drove my face right into the load of rocks. A few scratches, a bloody nose and injured pride!

We were building a rock garden had to move several large rocks. Some were very heavy and it took both of us to lift them and some we would just roll into place. I was trying to roll one of the heavier rocks and it wouldn’t move. Then Tim said, “Let me try.” I had visions of him doing the same thing I had done with the wheelbarrow the previous day because he had to take a similar stance. He grabbed hold of the rock, lifted, leaned forward, gritted his teeth, shouted, “praise the Lord anyway,” and rolled the rock into place.

I have always remembered this and whenever I am struggling with something that seems heavier than I can handle I quickly say, “praise the Lord anyway.”

My prayer for you this week:

“I pray that you are always ‘praising the Lord anyway‘, acknowledging that in all things it is not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord Almighty. Amen.” Zachariah 4:6

You can comment on this devotional online at:
https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2010/02/20/an_praise-anyway/