“O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come.”
~ Psalm 65:2
Hi James and Ellen,
If standing right in front of you right now are two visible spirit beings whose names are Praise and Criticism, who would you pick to be your daily mentor and constant companion? What do you think that your lives would be like if you chose Praise Spirit to always to be the spirit being who speaks into your lives and to be your best buddy? Do you like to get praise gifts from your dad, from your ma, from other kids, from your teachers, from your coaches, from . . . how does another kid react or respond to you when you give the kid a praise gift? What do you think that praise aroma smells like to God when you waft praises – that may include thanks praises for undeserved sin pardon, thanks praises for internal and temporal peace, thanks praises for bountiful food and abundant wealth, thanks praises for . . . to Him? What do you think that your lives would be like if you chose Criticism Spirit to always to be the spirit being who speaks into your lives and to be your best buddy? Do you like to get criticism gifts from your dad, from your ma, from other kids, from your teachers, from your coaches, from . . . how does another kid react or respond to you when you give the kid a criticism gift? What do you think criticism aroma smells like to God when you waft criticisms – that may include angry criticisms for letting the influence of evil spirits to overpower, angry criticisms for the painful feelings of emptiness and unsettledness, angry criticisms for a perceived lack of material blessings, angry criticisms for . . . to Him? Criticism Spirit uses its influence to compromise life values of guys, gals and kids, break life relationships between guys, gals and kids and fragment the life gift that a Divine Being – Who is God – as God the Father, has given to guys, gals and kids for the purpose of their retaining redemptive joy for all eternity. Praise Spirit is always patiently waiting in the shadows for the moment when Worship Spirit beckons it to become an integral part of Worship Spirit’s adoration of God – as God the Father. Praise Spirit will only use its influence to do its thing when a guy, gal or kid remembers that he or she has an unseen shadow willing to help build up another guy, gal or kid versus using Criticism Spirit as a building block for a guy, gal or kid to build himself or herself up as a guy, gal or kid who desires to be seen as being more important than every other guy, gal and kid in his or her circle of acquaintances. Praise Spirit is a God-ordained being who He has given earthly – and heavenly, responsibility and mandate – through the guys, gals and kids who God – as God the Father, specially elected before He created planet Earth of wafting sweet aromas that are heavily scented with Praise Spirit’s God’s glory poured on fragrance back to God.
Praise Spirit was very close to David as David’s friend. Praise Spirit partnered with David when David scribed a number of his song psalms – such as Psalm 65. Praise Spirit helped David scribe this psalm song which is about God’s great goodness and undeserved mercy towards His specially chosen guys and gals – who are the Israelite people groups guys and gals. This psalm song celebrates God’s handiwork as it is being witnessed by His creation and by the fear that guys and gals who do not know God in an intimate and personal way have of Him. God expects Praise Spirit to be your friend and to partner with you to praise Him by singing to Him, rejoicing in Him and talking with Him. Criticism Spirit will partner with one of his cohorts – Ego Spirit, to get guys, gals and kids who are not guys, gals and kids who God – as God the Father, specially elected for Himself to be His adopted kids, to praise only themselves by boasting about what they have purportedly done, complaining about how other guys, gals and kids have stopped them from doing more to be more important and putting down other guys, gals and kids with mean, vicious words in an attempt to discredit them. Authentic friend Praise Spirit is directed by God – as God the Father, through God – as God the Spirit, to direct the attention of His specially elected guys, gals and kids back to Him through goodness, compassion and kindness to other guy, gals and kids and through jubilation, adoration and exultation to Him. Artificial friend Criticism Spirit is directed by Satan to direct his shills’ attention on planet Earth back to him through undermining, demeaning and destroying guys, gals and kids and through unwarranted rewards, blind adulation and misguided hope in him.
Verse 2 sums up what happens when Praise Spirit is who a guy, gal or kid picks to be his or her friend, “O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come.” Praise Spirit is a guide to ‘O you’. ‘O you’ is God – as God the Father, Who is always showing off His perfectly choreographed creation to His specially chosen guys and gals and now to His specially elected guys, gals and kids. The guys and gals who God – as God the Father, especially chose and the guys, gals and kids who God – as God the Father, specially elected were and are through God – as God the Spirit, given the ability to understand what He is wanting to communicate through the words that He – as God the Father, through Himself – as God the Spirit, breathed on different guys to scribe in books, letters and poems beginning over 3000 years ago to almost 2000 years ago. Your grandpaa knows that Criticism Spirit will do everything it can do to be the best buddy of every guy, gal or kid. Your grandpaa knows how really hard it is to get rid of Criticism Spirit. Praise Spirit does not impose himself on a guy, gal or kid to choose him to be his or her best buddy. Your grandpaa is learning that it is taking a long time for Praise Spirit to become his best buddy. Your grandpaa is also learning that having Praise Spirit as his best buddy will not stop Criticism Spirit from continuing to pursue being his best buddy.
Psalm 65 (684)