Praise Him

I thought I would post today about Valentine's. About Blake and how much I love him. You know, a cute little countdown of 14 things I love. How the tulips he bought for me are beautiful and remind me of our wedding day (40 pink and orange)! How spending a weekend at the Joule was just what I needed and I couldn't have dreamed of being married to such a wonderful man. I truly love him...I am so fortunate to have so much to loose. 

After reading a scripture this morning I changed my plan. It overwhelmed me and humbled me. Like I have told you, I am in Isaiah. This verse falls under chapter 48 titled "stubborn Israel". The verse today is:

"For my own names sake I delay my wrath

for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you,

so as not to cut you off.

See, I have refined you,though not as silver;

I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this.

How can I let myself be defamed? 

I will not yield my glory to anther.

I know this is for the children of Israel in that day but today the Lord spoke to me. One might think I read this and thought of my current situation. I admit, a little. But what overwhelmed me is the fact that I am a sinner, I have fallen short of the glory of Christ and He has chosen to make me His child. He chooses to delay the wrath that I deserve and instead refines me. All for His own sake. Now I think this is where some could be mad at God-call him a selfish God b/c He would afflict pain or test someone for His glory. It is for us that He can not allow himself to be defamed. Everything He does points back to him so that we may praise Him. So today, I praise you. I praise you in the good times and bad, I praise you that you delay your wrath and choose to refine me, choose to use what I think is affliction for your Glory, for your names sake! Thank you Lord, praise His holy name.