Praise

Praise, as far as I am concerned, is one of the most important things a person can do whether it is from a heart of joy or a sacrifice of praise from a heart that has been broken or full of grief.  God inhabits praise and accepts it from His people.  I believe God loves it when we praise Him and He is so worthy of our praise.

Take a lesson from those who wrote the Psalms.  The Psalms speak of good times along with trials, concerns, problems, hurts, circumstances and situations that were tough, but they are also sprinkled throughout with praise and thanksgiving.  David was a good example of this; he really knew about praising and thanking the Lord in every situation.  David knew what it was like to be blessed by God and also corrected by God but regardless of where he found himself he could always praise God and he did.  If you think of the Psalms, most of them are prayers with praises to God in them.  As you read through the Psalms you may notice that God isn’t just praised for what He does but also for who He is.

Have you ever really taken time out of your busy schedule and thought about who God really is?  He is the Creator of the Heavens and earth and all that exists.  He is the one that gives the good and perfect gifts and the many blessings you and I receive, along with forgiveness, salvation, deliverance and healing, He is loving and just and so much more.  When anyone experiences His awesome presence and His peace, love and joy, they would be hard pressed not to burst forth with adoration and praise!!  When we experience who God is and what He has done, how could any of us not want to thank and praise him?  When is the last time you just took some time out to thank and praise God, I am not talking about when you were in church, but just on your own time at home or wherever?

Read what David said in Psalms 34:1-3:

“I will bless the Lord at all times;

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;

The humble shall hear of it and be glad.

Oh, magnify the Lord with me,

And let us exalt His name together.”

Read also in Psalms 138:1-4 what David said:

“I will praise You with my whole heart;

Before the gods I will sing praises to You.

I will worship toward Your holy temple,

And praise Your name

For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;

For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

In the day when I cried out, You answered me,

And made me bold with strength in my soul.

All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O Lord,

When they hear the words of Your mouth.”

There are more places the Psalmists thanked and praised the Lord, in the good and bad times, for they knew God was their only hope and He would come through for them, but even if He didn’t they would still praise Him!!

Check out this last one before I am finished in Psalms 9:1-2:

“I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;

I will tell of all Your marvelous works.

I will be glad and rejoice in You;

I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.”

David knew who his deliverer was and he thanked and praised Him and so should we.  We will be misunderstood and even taken advantage of and slandered, maybe even hated in this life, but nothing goes unnoticed by God.  He sees the good things we do and how we treat others and how we are treated and He will reward us in His time; we will reap what we sow.  Keep up the good work and be faithful and don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord for He cares for you and will reward you!!  Something to think about!  Have a super day and may God bless you and yours!!