If there is one particular subject that is near to the heart of God, it is the praise that He receives from His children who truly love Him, those who seek to glorify His name, not for the blessings that He bestows upon them only, but just because He is. “Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand are pleasures forever more”. (Psalm 16:11)
In this study the many ways that are possible to praise the name of our Lord will not necessarily be the main focal point. For that, one only needs to open the scriptures to nearly any page, for his glory shines through on them. He is, so He should be praised.
An even short search of the word ‘sovereign will show why only God is to be praised, for He alone is sovereign. The “American Dictionary of the English Language” Noah Webster 1828” defines sovereign as “Supreme in power; superior to all others; one who posses the highest authority without control.” An even more easily recognizable sign of this is the first verse in the Word of God, “In the beginning God created…”. If The Almighty had not created, we could not praise.
Many believers have a praise life that I could never hope to attain to, their love and praise of Him just seems to flow from them as natural as the air they breathe. One can almost sense a closeness to the Lord when we are around them, a knowledge that all is well and always will be, because He is. Others lay at the other end of the spectrum, barely remembering, after the illness has passed, to give thanks. O, that we would see his mercies all the day long and exalt His name above the heavens continually!
“Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, Him shalt thou serve, and to Him shalt thou cleave, and swear by His name. He is thy praise, and He is thy God…” (Deut. 10:17-21) Many, many verses show that there are not only praise-worthy reasons to glorify God, but also that it is commanded. (See Deut. 10:12-13; 30:16; and many others.) He alone is sovereign and worthy of our praise and for those who understand this, praise comes easily, commanded or not. But there are those for who the commandment must stand, not as if they are forced, this type of praise and honor to our Lord would fall on deaf ears. The command is almost, as it were, from a king to his servants, but to those servants that must be reminded that there king is worthy of this praise.
Giving God thanks, in it’s highest form, would be expressed in thanks beyond all measure for the gift of His Son Jesus Christ for us. Nothing can compare to this greatest expression of love that the world has ever known, a gift beyond all measure that should bring praise from our lips continuously. Yet, sorrowfully, we tend to forget. Many of the times we give Him thanks come across as hollow, a quick thanks for the accident barely missed, for the work we thought we had to do and ended up not having to, for not being chosen for that position at the church. Selfish praise is not praise.
Fear of the Lord, (reverential trust) is due Him not because of what He might do to us if we do or do not do a certain task, (he loves us), but because He is the author and finisher of our faith.
In the upcoming studies on the subject of praise we will look at the differences in ways that we can glorify the name of the Lord; for example, providing food each day, and not necessarily the type of food; how we can lift up His name whether it rains or not, in times when we are in fine health or in serious illness; how even hot water in the shower or ketchup and mustard in the refrigerator can be an opportunity to say “thank you, Blessed Savior, (much less to even have a refrigerator).
Prepare in your heart each day to find a way to give God the glory and honor he deserves, to pray for opportunities to speak words that will lift up His name to others, to miss the pitfalls that might defame Him in any way. Seek, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in the scriptures to be taught this most wonderful blessing that God offers us to be a part of. Through our praise of Him, our hearts and souls will be lifted up into His presence, and there only will we find fullness of joy.
