Praising God

Many people praise God, but most who do so have not thought about praising Him in places other than where they go to worship.  Obviously, the church, synagogue, or temple is a place to praise the Lord.  However, we need to be aware that we can, and we should, praise God anywhere and at any time.  Generally, praise is the expression of warm approval or admiration of someone or for something special they have done.  Christian praise is considered an expression of gratitude and respect towards God because of His goodness and the blessings He has provided for us.

The six verses of Psalm 150 expand on Christian praise. They explain a lot to us about praise and help us understand aspects related to the worship of God.  In this Psalm we learn the following:

1)      Places to Praise the Lord.  We are told that we should praise God “in His sanctuary” and “in His mighty heavens” (verse 1).  Although we may often think of praise as happening in a church building, praise can be expressed to God anywhere in the whole earth where God has displayed His power.

2)      Things for which to Praise God.  The psalm identifies “His acts of power” and “His surpassing greatness” as things for which to praise God (verse 2).  God orders and controls all the forces of nature and His divine power stands behind His greatness.

3)      Instruments with which to Praise God.  Many different instruments can be used for bringing praise to God (verses 3-5).  A few of the nine instruments noted in these verses include “trumpet, harp, strings and cymbals.”  It is important to remember that the praise is not in the instruments themselves, it is in the hearts of the people who use these and other instruments as they worship the Lord.

4)      Persons and Things should be United in Praise to God.  “Everything that has breath” should be involved in praising the Lord (verse 6).  If you have breath, you should use it to express your praise to the wonderful God who created you.

The Psalmist concludes Psalm 150 by saying, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” (verse 6).  Maybe it is time for all of us to evaluate our expressions of praise to God including how, where and with what we offer our gratitude and show our respect to Him.  Are you ready to praise the Lord?

Sacrifices of Praise

When reading from the book of Hebrews, I was struck with the phrase “the sacrifice of praise.”  Here is what the writer of Hebrews says, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.  And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Hebrews 13:15-16).

Notice several things from this text about the “sacrifice of praise.”

 1)      The Channel through which this activity is to be done is “Through Jesus.”

2)      The Frequency in which we should be involved in this activity is “Continually.”

3)      The Focus of our praise should be directed “To God.”

4)      The Mechanism through which the praise is to be uttered is “The fruit of lips.”

5)      The Content of the praise should be to “Confess His name.”

6)      The Result or what happens when we praise God is that “God is pleased.”

It is easy to utter words that do not have meaning because they are not expressions of our heart.  That is kind of like singing a song from memory – we know the tune, but we merely voice words which have little or no meaning.  Jesus made an interesting comment about some people who were simply mouthing words.  He said, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Matthew 15:8). Their words were hollow because those words did not come from the heart.  When our lives have been changed by the renewing power of God’s Spirit within us, the fruit of our lips will be that which flows from our heart as a sacrifice of praise to God for who He is and what He has done for us. 

Let me ask you: Has your heart been changed by God?  Are you offering God the sacrifice of praise?  Do you talk about the mighty power of God and praise Him throughout the day?  Have you thanked God today for the air that you breathe?  Have you expressed your appreciation to Him for sending Jesus to die on the cross so your sins could be washed away?  Have you thanked Him for your family?  I encourage you, right now, to express your thanks and praise to God.  Let’s let the fruit of our lips be the expression of our hearts to God as we bring to Him the sacrifice of praise.

Thanksgiving All the Time

Thanksgiving is just around the corner so let’s think about a verse from the Bible that reminds us to be thankful.  Psalm 95:2 says, “Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.”  Who is “us?”  Who is “him?”  What do we need to do?  Since we are thinking about giving of thanks an additional question might be, “When are we to give thanks?”

1)     The exhortation is for people.  “Let us” refers to all people (everyone) but particularly God’s people – those who have developed a personal relationship with the creator of the universe.

2)     We are encouraged to take action.  “Come” suggests that we need to make sure we are ready, willing, and able to take the steps that are important to do what God wants us to do.

3)     We are urged to come to the right person.  The “Him” in this verse is the “Lord.” The acknowledgment suggests that God should be the sole object of our thanks.

4)     We are challenged to have a grateful heart.  Our gratefulness is suggested by the words “With thanksgiving.”  It is easy for us just to be happy and enjoy our surroundings.  However, a grateful heart is one that is extremely thankful for a God who is concerned about us and cares for us. As a result, we should be ready to offer to God a sacrifice of praise.

5)     We are exhorted to worship and praise.  We are to “Extol him” by lifting up God’s name, admiring Him, and bowing in his presence because he is worthy of our praise and honor.

6)     We are advised to share our expression.  That sharing is to come through “Music and song.” These are ways that help our emotions turn to God whether it be with a melodious voice or a harmonious instrument.  Our expression to God should come from the grace of God in our hearts and spiritual joy that reveals our delight in Him.

When should we give thanks?  On Thanksgiving Day?  As soon as Halloween is over?  When the calendar tells us it is the time of the year to give thanks?  This verse does not suggest a specific day or time of the year to give thanks.  So, we should be ready to express our thanks to God all the time throughout the year.  Why not begin your thanksgiving today?

The Sea and God's Glory

While recently cruising through the Gulf of Mexico I was impressed with the vast amount of water all around - its length,  its width and its depth. Everywhere I looked all I could see was water. Where did this water come from? How did it get here? As the earth rotates, what makes it adhere to the earth and not fling away into space?  The Bible says, "And God said let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place and let the dry land appear and it was so. And God called the dry land earth and the gathering together of the waters he called the seas and God saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:9-10).

The seas with all the water they contain did not appear by chance; they were planned and created by God. In fact, the world and everything in it was created for God's glory. The Bible says "The whole earth is full of his glory" (Isaiah 6:3). So when we look at creation we should think of God - His greatness, His power, and His majesty - not just for us to enjoy, but for our minds to be focused on Him and His glory. When you look at creation - be sure to enjoy it, but also be ready to give glory to God.

Impressed by Creation

As the Fall season has rolled around, I am once again impressed again by the beauty of creation.  In the northern hemisphere, fall is known as autumn and begins with the September equinox.  This year that date was on September 22.  On that day both day and night were each about 12 hours long.  The Sun crossed the celestial equator going southward and it rose exactly due east and set exactly due west.  The change of the season is determined by shifting sunlight according to how our planet orbits the Sun ans well as the tilt of its axis.  So, why does all this take place with each season in in such a precise way?  Scripture helps us get a grasp of what has been done, what continues to be done, and what our response should be.

 

The Bible reminds us: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).  God is Creator.  The Bible also says, “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17).  God is Sustainer.  Scripture additionally tells us “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies  proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1).

So what can we say?  God created the beauty we see in the natural world around us.  He also sustains it or holds it up and keeps it going by the power of His hands.  His glory is revealed by the beauty we see in creation.  We, like the heavens themselves, should declare His glory.  All of the beauty we see and enjoy during the fall season (and the other seasons of the year) are directly related to God, our Creator and Sustainer.

Noise or Sound

Have you ever noticed the tremendous amount of noise that surrounds you every day?  At home you may hear the noise of your washing machine, refrigerator, freezer or clothes dryer.  At work you may hear the noise of people talking, cars buzzing by, or airplanes flying overhead.  In your quiet time you may even hear the noise of a ticking clock or the noise of nothing at all.

The most common use of the word noise is unwanted sound.  Or it may be referred to as a sound that is loud, unpleasant, unexpected, or undesired.  Noise seems to be different than sound as it is something that is more specific and distinctive.  For example, I hear the sound of a honking horn.  It may be a warning to me that I need to heed.  However, if the sound of the horn continues it becomes a noise annoying and unwanted.

When have you last listened for a sound, and were grateful to God for it?  Maybe it was the sound of a bird chirping, the sound of a baby crying, or the sound of music when expressed in worship to God.  It is interesting that the word “noise” occurs 20 times in my electronic New International Version Bible of the Bible while the word “sound” occurs 125 times.

If there is to be meaning and understanding from a sound, the sound must be distinct.  “If the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?” (1 Corinthians 14:8).  Sometimes we are so busy with what we are doing that noise is ever-present and we neglect to hear the sounds that are quiet and meaningful.  The prophet Elijah discovered God’s voice in quietness.  “After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:12).  Where are you when it comes to noise and sounds?  Is the noise getting the best of you, or are you listening for sounds that cause you to express praise to God?  What about your quiet time?  Are you spending time in the presence of God where you are able to hear the sound of His gentle whisper?