Praise that flows from a heart of gratefulness

 

The past few weeks have been hard. I’m not afraid to admit it.

The workload heavy, the mental load cumbersome, physical illness underlying the days activities leaving not only me, but others in our church community, exhausted and weary in body and soul.

But today was different. Today it seemed to me that the wind had changed. The mood lifted. The sun shone brighter. The birds sang louder. The wind rustling the leaves in the trees played the notes of a melody, sweet and inviting.

And I was reminded of a beautiful verse found in the Psalms.

Psalm 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Continually. Always. Perpetually.

Not just on the good days. But every day!  

We are to be praising God on a regular basis. Why? Because he commands us to. But also, because it brings glory to him.

Psalm 50:23a Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me:

Bringing glory to his name is to be our ultimate goal as a Christian.

1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

I love how Charles Spurgeon puts it.

” It is not left to our own option—whether we shall praise God or not. Praise is God’s most righteous due, and every Christian, as the recipient of His grace, is bound to praise God from day to day. We have no commandment prescribing certain hours of song and thanksgiving, but the law written upon the heart teaches us that it is right to praise God; and the unwritten mandate comes to us with as much force as if it had been recorded on the tables of stone or handed to us from the top of thundering Sinai.

Yes, it is the Christian’s duty to praise God. It is not only a pleasurable exercise, but it is the absolute obligation of his life. Do not think you who are always mourning, that you are guiltless in this respect, or imagine that you can discharge your duty to your God without songs of praise. You are bound by the bonds of His love to bless His name so long as you live, and His praise should continually be in your mouth, for you are blessed, in order that you may bless Him.”

Isaiah 43:21 KJV - This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.

“If you do not praise God, you are not bringing forth the fruit which He, as the Divine Gardener, has a right to expect at your hands.”

I didn’t find it easy to praise God in the last couple of weeks, but when I took the time to sit and think about and write down my gratitude to him, I found that there were so many things to be thankful for that the only thing my heart could do, was praise him!

What a blessing it is to be able to look beyond the storm, behind the clouds and praise God for who he is. We don’t have to know why he does what he does if we know who he is!

He is the Creator and Sustainer of life, and everything is in his hand. He orders our days. He sends the rain and the sunshine.

As his children and the receivers of his grace and mercy, we are duty bound to praise him. But let us not see it as a duty but an amazing privilege.

How wonderful is it that we worship a God that is so worthy of our thanks! How amazing is it that we can trust his every move even when we don’t understand it!

So, if you’re struggling through your days, finding life harder than usual, take the time to reflect on all you have to be thankful for.

Look up at the sky, listen to the birds’ song, go and soak in that glorious sunset, feel the raindrops on your face, and let his praise be continually in your mouth!

“Let not your harp then hang upon the willows but take it down, and strive, with a grateful heart, to bring forth its loudest music. Arise and chant His praise. With every morning’s dawn, lift up your notes of thanksgiving, and let every setting sun be followed with your song. Belt the earth with your praises; surround it with an atmosphere of melody, and God Himself will hearken from heaven and accept your music.”    C. Spurgeon

“Worship is our love expressed to God as a response to his grace toward us”

 

I see the sun rise in the morning
And a million stars at night
I hear the birds, they can't stop singing hallelujah
I see His goodness when I fall down
And it's grace that picks me up
Every day, I can't stop singing hallelujah

How can you not see God
In every little thing, in every little moment?
How can you not feel loved?
How can you not? How can you not?
'Cause He's in the middle of
Every little thing and every little moment
How can you not see God?
How can you not? How can you not?

I see the sunset and I wonder
If He paints it just for me
Nobody else could make a world so beautiful
How could I question His love when it's everywhere I go
Wherever I look, I find another miracle

How can you not see God
In every little thing, in every little moment?
How can you not feel loved?
How can you not? How can you not?
'Cause He's in the middle of
Every little thing and every little moment
How can you not see God?
How can you not? How can you not?

L.Crawford