I'm not going to be out-praised by a whale

Recently, I heard Louie Giglio speak about how all of creation literally cries out in praise to God.  He had sounds from whales and stars in the sky.  I know that sounds strange, but something he said challenged me... "I'm not going to be out-praised by a whale." 

Here is the deal.  The Heavens and Earth are still proclaiming His wonders, splendor and majesty... with or without me.  And I do not want to be out-praised by a whale or anything else for that matter.

I have been holding back over the last months.  Grief does that.  I had not raised my hands to Jesus in a while.  I could say it was because I didn't have the strength, but that is not entirely true.  Selfishly, it is easier to be sad.  I knew that I was not in full surrender.  It was very intentional.  Sorrow can consume you.  When you are grieving, sometimes you feel guilty for enjoying anything.  Miserable becomes familiar.  I read a Beth Moore devotion that talked about our "pits" starting to become comfortable, almost a life style.  Dangerous ground.  The truth is, this doesn't hurt God, it hurts me.  It is exhausting to try to hold back praise to my Lord, even in my pit.

I have been having some break throughs, instead of just break downs.  This is progress.  Some things progress naturally.  Some things take more time.  I am becoming more willing to let healing begin.  For me, worship music is some of the best medicine.

"God has absolutely no need of our offerings... We cannot even offer a simple song of praise without using the breath God first gave to us... There are some incredible painful struggles in this life, and hard questions to which we may never fully know the answer.  Yet even in these dark hours, we must accept that God is God, and as such, He never owes us an answer... Here is the all-sufficient Creator of the universe who could get along just fine without our little contributions.  And yet He rejoices and delights in every adoring response to Him.  It is the joy of a doting Father over a cherished child.  It is the pleasure of a mighty King over a faithful and treasured servant.  Just as we cannot begin to imagine the heights and depths of His great glory, so too we cannot begin to fathom the infinite measures of His fatherly love and grace."  (Facedown by Matt Redman)