Extolling the Lord at all times

Good morning. This is a devotional for single adults from Parenting Solo, but the message also applies to single adults without children who may one day marry a single parent and be a step-parent. Feel Free to forward it to a friend.

Scripture: Psalm 34:1-5 (NIV) I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
My soul will boast in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt his name together.

I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.

Ed Aullie grew up in Mexico, the son of missionaries. When he grew up, he got married, had children and returned to northern Mexico as a missionary. He went from town to town, sharing the gospel with peasant Mexicans. He helped start churches in small villages. He worked among the prostitutes, drug addicts and alcoholics. He loved them all the same.

One day, the federales came and arrested him. The charges of forged documents were drummed up. They put him in federal prison, the worst by far in the country’s penal system. This was not something he could bribe his way out. He had an attorney working to get him out. He shared a small cell with seven other inmates, one of whom was a well-known pimp who ran brothels along the border towns. The pimp told Aullie to steer clear of him or else.

Aullie somehow sneaked in a New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs. Inside the prison, Aullie continued to “extol the Lord at all times,” and without fear. His praise was always on Aullie’s lips. He read his Bible every day, and soon inmates were asking about what he was reading, so he shared the good news of Jesus Christ. Inmates became believers. Lives were changed. Aullie planted a prison church with 65 new believers. One day, Aullie’s attorney got him released and whisked him out of the country on a plane.

What if Aullie had just kept his mouth shut and kept his nose clean while in prison? What if he hadn’t sneaked a New Testament into prison, against orders? What if he hadn’t shared the gospel with other inmates? My bet is that those who looked at Aullie in prison found a radiant face. They knew something different about him because of his countenance. As I look at my new world of unemployment, I realize that I must be radiant as I go about looking for a job. I must also remember to extol the Lord at all times. People around me need to hear about him, because they’re afraid, and they need to know that Jesus makes a difference in their lives. They must see that difference in my life.

How does this apply to my life?

Today’s prayer: Lord, help me to be bold today when meeting new people. Help me to share my faith in ways only you know how it touches the other person. Amen