For some time now, I have felt the whisper of my God telling me I needed to take a walk through Romans. For a while, I ignored the gentle nudge, then I started, but stopped short of the complete journey. Recently, I went back and finished that walk. For me, reading the bible is like a quiet walk with God as I admire the beauty of his love. It is sometimes funny what catches your attention while walking. I admit I can be a little squirrely getting distracted quickly. Thank God for his patience LOL. It’s like the description my daughter recently shared when she walks with Jim, and he lets her meander around looking at plants and bugs. Then she went hiking with a friend, and it was all about the destination! I am a meander.
Which brings me back to my walk through the book of Romans. Now it is important to note the translation, for we all know that words change with each translation as we try to clarify their meanings and preserve the integrity and spirit of His Holy words. I am a die-hard King James fan, though I love comparing many translations to my King James. I guess it is what you are comfortable with. I love the poetic language of King James; I’ve always fancied myself a princess.
In this journey, I was walking through a Thompson Chain-reference, the fifth and improved version of the King James bible. Just blissfully reading along when I stumbled on a stone, this stone was in the form of a word I had never been introduced to! “Hold up,” I said, “this cannot be a word, it has got to be a typo.” Thus began my investigation of this strange creature among my familiar friends. So, I carried my new friend to the wise one, “Webster’s Dictionary”. This will expose this imposter! This was not the case, though; I found a new friend and an aspiration for the rest of my life!
I had been struggling with being too bold in my praise for my Heavenly Father, still being led by my shame. It’s funny how this word LAUD resonated with me. Just getting to know what he stood for gave me a new stance in life. Romans 15:11 introduced me to this new word as it declared “And again, Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; and Laud him all you, people!”
Let me introduce you to LAUD, who, when in action, will “praise (a person or their achievements) highly, especially in a public setting. ” Contextual example is: “The obituary lauded him as a great statesman and soldier.” After reading this definition, I came up with an acronym to help me remember the character of the word and what God was calling me to do!
L- Loud A-Adoration U-until D-Death
Like my friend, I do not want to shy away from praising my redeemer! Come along, on this April Fool’s Day, join me in being fools for Jesus, lauding him together!
Written for the glory of God by Angela Dollar
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keywords: Jesus, Redemption, Praise