Praise Ye The Lord

If we were to give a porter at the Chevron Hotel or at Sydney Central Railway Station a tip of twenty cents, he would despise such a mere pittance. He may show his disgust by throwing the coin at our feet or by refusing it. He might thrust it in his pocket and forget it.
He would neither broadcast our generosity nor praise us for our action.

We have a gift which is priceless. The gift of salvation is too precious to be compared with any earthly treasure. Yet so often we treat this gift as if it were a mere twenty-cent coin.

So frequently we neglect to thank our giver. Do we neglect to praise him and do we share with others the joy, the grace and the promise of life which we claim to have?

Our reactions must often proclaim that we have no such gift, no such joy and nothing to share except a fearful looking forward to the day of judgment. Do we praise our donor?

But praise is a theme running throughout the Scriptures.

Moses and the people of Israel praised God after crossing the Red Sea.

Miriam with her timbrel led the women in an answering chorus of praise.

David led the house of Israel in emotional praise to the Lord while the ark was being carried to the city of David.

Solomon led Israel in praise at the dedication of the temple.

Mary praised God before Jesus was born. A multitude of the heavenly host praised God at Jesus’ birth.

The shepherds glorified and praised God after seeing Jesus. I believe that God created us that we might praise him, and also that he redeems many so that they may not only praise him now but also in the future. Paul’s words are surely meant to be applied to us. “We who first hoped in Christ have been destined and appointed to live for the praise of his glory.” (Eph. 1:12). “but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart; always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.” (Eph. 5:18-20).

Giving thanks is praising God. It is recognising that he is our provider, that he has the power to provide and that he loves us enough to provide many rich blessings including a wonderful inheritance. “… giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light” (Col. 1:12).

Oh, how often do we, who claim to be the brethren of Christ, treat our Father as if he had only offered us a coin? So seldom does he hear our voice of praise. So rare it is that our conversation and thoughts include him.

“Through him then, let us continually offer up sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name” (Heb. 13: 15).

Can we hear God’s words to Israel as something like the following? “Worship me; praise me; thank me; trust me; follow me; and I will bless you. You can have a land flowing with milk and honey. Your lives will be long in the earth. None of the diseases which the other nations have will come upon you. Just look to ME. WORSHIP ME.”

Alas, we know the story of Israel. We know the story of, mankind. “… for although they knew God they did not honour him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened.” (Rom. 1:21).

Webster defines praise as “extol, laud, honour, acclaim, express approval”. To praise can therefore be to give positive affirmation, expressing our approval of something. “… give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Jesus Christ for you.” (1 Thess. 5:18).

To praise or thank God for a difficult situation, a sickness, or a disaster, means literally that we accept or approve of its happening as part of God’s plan for our lives.

God always knows best. He knew what was best for Israel and he knows what is best for us. He has created us that we might worship him, thank him, and praise him.

Solomon speaks of praise in Proverbs 27:21. “The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is judged by his praise.”

If only we would yield to the Divine Smelter and submit to him while he heats up our lives over and over and takes away the dross until he can see a perfect image of himself in our praise!

Praise can turn sadness into gladness, defeat into victory, weakness into strength, and trials into triumph.

When we praise we can’t complain and when we complain we can’t praise. In our weakness and our selfishness we praise God only AFTER he has blessed us. Seldom do we praise him in trust and faith BEFORE he moves.

I imagine Israel shouting praises to God before the walls of Jericho came down. If they had withheld their praise until the walls had tumbled, they would have still been waiting.

2 Chronicles 20 is an example for us all. Jehoshaphat led Judah in praise and then appointed a group of singers to precede the army into battle, glorifying God. In the face of such faith as this, is it any wonder that God defeated Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir on behalf of Israel?

From the book of Acts we read, “But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake… and he (the Philippian jailor) was baptised at once, with all his family.”

Brother, have you ever been scourged? Sister, have you ever been in prison? Would we have praised God? Do we ever pause long enough from enjoying his blessings to thank him?

King David, the man after God’s own heart, was a man of prayer and praise, as we know so well from his psalms; and yet if he were a member of one of our ecclesias and continually exhorted us on praise, fervently exclaiming “Hallelujah, praise ye the Lord”, we would probably feel embarrassed in his presence, thinking him to be fanatical and overemotional.

In Revelation we are given visions of the saints praising God; and we look forward to being amongst that number.

But if we don’t praise him verbally now, or if we feel embarrassed in the presence of those who do, can we expect to be part of a throng which praises God day and night?

We can never be a congregation resounding with God’s praise until our homes become schools of praise and we individually learn to praise.

God, in his love and mercy, has through Jesus Christ given us the gift of salvation and we have responded as though we have been given a mere coin.

May we learn to gratefully accept that priceless gift which is beyond comparison with any earthly treasure. May we begin to appreciate the love of God toward us and extol, laud, honour and acclaim him.

HALLELUJAH !