Throw It Higher

I was at a "For King & Country" concert a few weeks ago. If you’ve ever heard of this band (they’re hard to miss because their rendition of “Little Drummer Boy” has hit high on almost every music chart, regardless of genre), you’ll agree they are pretty stellar.

A good friend of mine bought herself and I tickets for this, years ago, in the year BC (before Covid). Yes, it seems these initials have changed their meaning and I now gage time as before or after the pandemic.

Anyway, this band tried SEVEN times to get into Canada AC (after Covid) to accomplish their tour. Finally, just this spring, they succeeded!

Not only did we attend the concert but our tickets included the Q&A that was held two hours preceding the show. One answered question will remain unforgettable to me. When asked, “How do you handle all the fame you’re getting now?”, Luke Smallbone answered like this … “Well, we could decide to let it sit with us and just let that satisfy, or we can decide to throw it higher--to where the praise really belongs.” He made a gesture with his hand then, as if he was doing just that—throwing it higher, to the God he loves.

And isn’t that right? If we belong to Him, God alone deserves our praise—every minute of every day. If we have successes and accomplish what we and others see as great and wonderful things, He deserves our praise. If we achieve small things that may appear insignificant to everyone else, but we know He has a purpose for them because He assigned that task to us, then He deserves our praise. And, if you're like me and often don't see anything that looks like ... anything at all important, He still deserves our praise.

Whether we feel as if we’re plodding along or getting the applause of a large stadium of people, if we’re following God's direction, He deserves our praise.

He has a plan for each of His children—very special things that He will help us accomplish, for His purposes.

Some may leave this earth being known by many and having had a big influence on hundreds or thousands of people (like I suspect this band might). Most of us, though, have no fame on this earth but we have our own just-as-important missions to accomplish.

In the little successes or huge ones, I have to say I agree with Luke. We need to throw our praise much higher—to the One who loves us and sees us through it all!

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness endures through all generations."

Psalm 100:4&5

Have a great start to your summer everyone!

Pattie Janzen