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The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting,
“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord—
the King of Israel!”
John 12:12-13
Sometimes you have to shout, Hosanna! I am positive praise and adoration, is the oil that lubricates the wheels of life. Paul will write
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
Don’t just think about these things. Speak about them. Shout Hosanna, occasionally. Do not let any good deed go un-praised.
Think about your relationships in life and think of how much better those relationships exist when they are flavored with mutual praise and adoration. Now, I, like most men, am not exactly a rocket scientist when it comes to marriage. Most of the time, I feel like I am driving with a learner’s permit. But, even I have noticed that the days that I go home and say, “Holy Cat’s Bev!. You look great.” These days seem to go better.
It is no different with God. When you see something God has done, that is worthy of praise, say, “Wow! Nice job, God!” A few years back, the staff at my last church was at a theological convention at Assissi Heights in Rochester. Assissi Heights is a Catholic convent that hosts small conventions. As the church team walked down a hall, they came upon a little eighty-something nun who looked up and saw Matt Cordes, our youth director. She said, “Boy, the Lord sure knew what he was doing when he put you together.” We have laughed a hundred times about that. What did she really say? She said, “HOSANNA!”
Adoration is the oil that lubricates the wheels of our relational life, our emotional life, and our spiritual life. I hope when Jesus comes back, he catches you in the act of praise.
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