Psalm 149:1-5 "Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. (2) Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. (3) Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. (4) For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation. (5) Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds."
Why do you think the Holy Spirit inspired so many Psalms about praise? It seems
to me that praise is an exercise of the soul that gives strength to us even in
times of struggle. It is when we lose our praise that we are at our weakness in
our spiritual walk. If we are honest with ourselves, there are days when we
have to put forth more effort to praise than at other times. Yet, we are to
praise the Lord at all times. It isn't because it makes God feel better when
wed praise Him; rather, we are the ones who gain by giving praise unto the
Lord. When we are fervent in our praise, old songs become new. Amazing Grace
truly becomes a "sweet sound". The name of Jesus becomes even
sweeter than the day before. We offer our praise and the earth begins to sing -
His wonderful love to proclaim. Yes, those grand old hymns are like brand
new songs when our hearts and minds are filled with praise unto the Lord.
Praise brings joy into our lives. We become instruments of praise whether its
in song or in our testimony. Our daily walk becomes a witness unto the mercy
and grace of our Lord. We might find ourselves humming or whistling or smiling
without even realizing it's happening. The joy that we emit in our
conversations show the beauty of salvation that our God has bestowed upon us.
The Word of God assures us that the Lord takes pleasure in us. Think about
that! Our God is pleased when we offer our sacrifices of praise unto Him. He
gives us a song in the night as we lay upon our beds. I can tell you that when
the nights seem so long, there is greater joy in praising God than there is in
dwelling upon our problems.
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for giving us the opportunity and motivation to
give praise unto you!
1 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation!
Come, all who hear; now to his temple draw near,
join me in glad adoration.