Praise First and Always
Psalm 66 & 67
Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing to the glory of His name; offer Him glory and praise! Psalm 66: 1-2
May the peoples praise You, O God; may all the peoples praise You. May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for You rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. May the peoples praise You, O God; may all the peoples praise You. Then the land will yield its harvest, and God our God will bless us. God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear Him. Psalm 67: 3-7
Think about what is right and good in your life. Count the many, many blessings that God has given you time and again. Think about the thousands of meals He has provided you and your family over your lifetime. Think about the hundreds of paychecks and thousands of dollars that have already come your way. Remember the loving times that you have enjoyed throughout your life.
Think back on your long past. Remember the sicknesses and injuries that you’ve been able to get through. Tell God with your voice, “thank you, Lord, for all these things.”
Remember the rain that He brought to your land. Remember the warmth of a fire and blankets on your bed in the winter; and don’t take for granted the cooling of a shade or an air conditioner in the summer. Remember the laughter. Remember the kisses and the hugs. Remember the tears of joy. Remember the songs that moved you.
Think of your incredible freedom. Think of your wonderful loved ones. Think of those who have encouraged you and shared something of value with you. Think of the breath of air you’ve been freely given at this very moment – ah, and here comes another one. Think of the wonder of your body, your lungs, your muscles, your veins and arteries, and the strong heart that continues to beat totally outside of your control. These are all gifts – rich gifts that God has steadfastly and faithfully provided each of us. He has given you so many good things that you will not be able to remember them all. You won’t even be able to count them all!
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. All the earth bows down to You; they sing praise to You, they sing praise to Your name.” Psalm 66:3-4
Praise God with your voice for all these things. Praise You, God. Can you say these words? Say them out loud. Say them louder. Don’t withhold your praise. God is pleased with your praise – your finest praise. Give Him your very best praise. Think of what He has done and continues to give you day in and day out, and don’t forget to praise Him with all that is within you. Meditate in praise. Speak words of your praise for Him. Sing your praises to His holy name!
Instead of worrying about what the future will bring, think back on what the past has already brought. If you are honest and will think of all the good that has already happened, you will be able to see the truth that the past is the great indicator that many, many more great things lie ahead.
Don’t be like the 10 lepers that Jesus healed – nine of which didn’t even bother to thank Him. No, be like the one who praised Jesus and was so grateful for Him. Recognize your healing. Rejoice in what is good. Be like David, thinking of His Savior day and night and praising Him even when the enemy was stalking all around him. When enemies slandered David over and over, he turned to God and thanked the Lord that He was with him and protecting him.
God loves us. And He loves our praise. Acknowledging Him, thanking Him, and praising Him is the least we can do in the midst of His overwhelming gifts of love for us.
Don’t focus on what might not be perfect or not exactly the way you think it ought to be. Think instead on how great our God is and how much He cares for you. Being with Him is the greatest condition you could ever want or need in your life. His presence is the ultimate condition and thing you can ever desire.
You can count on His presence right now. He is with you exactly at this moment. You can count on His steadfast love and presence being with you today and tomorrow. He provided that abundant love and protection in the past and He will do the same in the future. So, don’t ever withhold your praise. Praise Him in a loud voice first and you will find that your disposition will brighten, your countenance will glow, and your attitude will soar.
God hates grumbling and complaining, but He loves our praise. So, let us without any inhibition choose to praise Him out loud. Praise You, Lord. (louder) Praise You, Lord. (louder still) Praise You, Lord. “Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of His praise be heard.” Psalm 66:8
Don’t withhold your praise. Don’t be afraid to praise. Our God inhabits praise - and He responds with blessings and a rich harvest when you lift up your praise to Him.
“You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.” Praise Him in a loud voice first and you will see your harvest. Quit d.o.u.b.t.i.n.g. Stop fretting. Start KNOWING that you are loved greatly and you will experience that place of abundance, not because of what you were able to do, but because of what God will do for you when you praise Him.
Oh yes, the place of abundance appears after the fire, after the water. So, praise first. Praise always. Let all that is within us praise the Lord! Praise His holy name…
God Bless,
