Scripture Passage: Psalm 150:1-6
"Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the
firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him
according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of
the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with
the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and
organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high
sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD.
Praise ye the LORD."
If anyone were to ask me where and when to praise the Lord, my answer
would be, "Everywhere and all the time!" God is in His sanctuary--and
God is everywhere. "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither
shall I flee from thy presence?" asks the writer of Psalm 139:7 and
the answer is "Nowhere!" Because wherever we go, God is there.
As Christians, it is indeed a great assurance that God is "Emmanuel"--
God with us.
We praise Him because He is our creator. He created all things above
and under the earth and everything that lived in them, as well as the
galaxies and the Milky Way. He created you and me in His image.
Let's
claim what the psalmist claimed, "I will praise thee; for I am
fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my
soul knoweth right well." [Psalm 139:14].
We praise Him because He is our redeemer. He left His glory in heaven
and came to earth as a man so he could understand what we go through
on earth. He died on the cross so that mankind could reconcile with
God once again, and that we may have eternal life [cf. John 3:16].
We praise Him for His power and glory. Behold His power, His glory
and His mighty acts He displays that are beyond comprehension.
Praise Him for the works He had done in our lives.
And praise Him for what
He is going to do in future (cf. Jeremiah 29:11).
Praise Him for changing us into His image daily and for teaching us His ways.
We praise God regardless of circumstances. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
says, "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing.
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
One New Zealand praise song I learned while I was in Australia
says, "I can praise Him on the highest mountain, praise Him in the
lowest valley, everything that's in me praise the Lord!"
There are so many things that we can praise God for and the list
never ends. And when we praise God, I believe we are joining our
praise "with the whole company of heaven! Amen!"
All things are created to praise God--not just human creatures but everything that
has breath. Indeed, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!"
Praise the Lord!
Grace and peace,
Elaine
The JavaScript Source
