Extol and Exalt

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 my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
Psalm 34:1-5

I just feel like extolling the Lord and exalting His glorious name Lord today. God has been so good to us. When I take a step back and look at His hand prints on our lives..., how can I not Praise His Name?

As I've written about on my blog before, these have been difficult days for our family. Randy has been virtually in bed since September with chronic, debilitating back pain. For weeks and weeks on end we hit brick wall after brick wall while trying to get him some help.

But when God begins to move..., things move in miraculous ways. In late February we really became discouraged. Led by God we went back to the Dr's he had before we moved to CA seven years ago. What a blessing these men have been. Men of wisdom and compassion who are willing to "fight for" their patients.

From one referral to the next I can see how God is moving, working everything out! Pending the approval of the insurance company (which is really up to God and not them anyway), Randy will have a spinal cord stimulator implanted in just a matter of weeks. This is a device that introduces low levels of electrical current to the lower portion of the spinal cord to block the sensation of pain. Basically, it causes the brain to sense a positive stimulation instead of the negative pain. Pretty amazing stuff.

One of the hoops the insurance company requires is a Psych evaluation to make sure that the pain he is feeling is actually physical instead of emotional. No problem! We figured he could go do his time, get the required signature and be on his way.

But God had so much more in store. What an awesome experience this was. The Dr.'s father was a Methodist Pastor. The events of the last 2 years of our lives were very similar to a situation that his father had gone through. He had seen first hand the toll that this took on his dad. The conversations they shared were not only about the physical, but also the spiritual. God used this Dr. to minister to Randy. But our God didn't stop there..., He also used this visit to minister to the Dr. at the same time.

God your praise is on my lips. No one can orchestrate these types of encounters but you. Proverbs 19:21 says,

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

I praise you God for fulfilling your purpose in our lives today! Thank You for directing us to the right Dr.'s at exactly the right time! You are never too early. You are never too late! You are always on time!

Praise Your Holy Name! There is NONE like YOU! You give strength to the weak, wisdom to the seeking and your Spirit to lead the way. You are our Rock, our Refuge, our Strong and Mighty Tower! You are our Shelter in the midst of the storm. You protect, redeem, guard, heal, raise up, restore and rescue! My soul boasts in YOU and YOU alone! You are so worthy of my praise!

Does anyone else feel like lifting up the name of Jesus today?

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!