Praise the Lord Throughout the Day

Psalm 40:3 (NIV)

He put a new song in my mouth,

    a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear the Lord

    and put their trust in him.

Ole Bull was born in 1810 in Bergen, Norway. At an early age he became known as a first class violinist. His solo performance with the great orchestra of the Paris Opera at the age of 25 marked the beginning of a series of concert tours that took him over the whole of Europe and America. In 1850, Bull founded the first Norwegian national theater. A celebrated composer, and an international ambassador for Norwegian culture, Bull also oversaw a line of fine violins named after himself. Bull had a friend Leif who claimed he didn't have an ear for music and he refused to go to Bull's concerts. The fact that his friend was world-renowned musician made no difference to Leif. However, Bull won him in the end. Ole didn't chastise his friend or belittle him. He didn't lecture him. He simply went to Leif's place of work and played for him. Leif heard the sweet sounds of Ole's violin and it melted his heart. Leif's rough, cold heart was transformed by the charm of the music.   

Jesus Christ has put a new song into our lives, a song of praise to Him. We need to praise our God and as we do, others will put their trust in Him. Are you praising the Lord throughout your day?

Dear Lord, we give thanks to the You. Give us the chance through our praises to share the good news of Your love today.  Help the hearts be warmed and ready to hear about Your love.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Worth the Practice.

2 Timothy 2:15 (New International Version)

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

How a person reacts to criticism often means the difference between success and failure. Take the case of Ole Bull, the famous Norwegian violinist of the past century.

His practical father, a chemist, sent him to the University of Christiania to study for the ministry and forbade him to play his beloved violin. He promptly flunked out and, defying his father, devoted all his time and energy to the violin.

Unfortunately, though he had great ability, his teachers were relatively unskilled, so that by the time he was ready to start his concert tour he wasn't prepared.

In Italy a Milan newspaper critic wrote: "He is an untrained musician. If he be a diamond, he is certainly in the rough and unpolished."

There were two ways Ole Bull could have reacted to that criticism. He could have let it make him angry, or he could learn from it.

Fortunately he chose the latter. He went to the newspaper office and asked to see the critic. The astounded editor introduced him. Ole spent the evening with the 70-year-old critic, asked about his faults, and sought the older man's advice on how to correct them.

Then he cancelled the rest of his tour, returned home, and spent the next six months studying under really able teachers.

He practiced hours upon hours to overcome his faults. Finally, he returned to his concerts and, when only 26, became the sensation of Europe.

Dear Lord we pray that we would not get discouraged with things that happen around us. We pray that we would work hard to make ourselves better. In Jesus’ name, Amen.