Saturday, May 17, 2014 [Praise]
1 Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the Lord.
2 Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore.
3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.
I have friends that are die-hard basketball fans. In conversations, on Facebook, or wherever, these folks can tell you everything about Griffin, Durant, or Carmelo. Sometimes I just enjoy hearing them go back-and-forth in arguments about who is the best player of all-time (e.g. LeBron or Jordan). When I was younger I was a die-hard Knicks fan and could quote their statistics. These amazing b-ball players are athletic heroes for so many people that many can go on-and-on about their exploits. The same can be said for actors, singers, writers, etc. There are people in our small world that we so admire for their great acts that we are almost always ready to boast in their greatness.
Many of the psalms are written just for the purpose of bragging on the greatness of the Lord. Psalm 113 has this very clear focus since it begins and ends with "Hallelu-Yah!" The word for "praise" in Hebrew is "hallel," which means to "boast" or "brag." It's in verses 4-9 that we see what this bragging looks like:
(5) There is no one like Him
(6) Although He is enthroned on high He stoops down to see about heaven AND earth (everything, including us)
(7-8) He raises the poor and needy from low places to high places
(9) He gives the childless woman children
This is remembrance and rehearsal of the goodness and greatness of God! It's keeping Who God is and What God does in the forefront of our minds. It's boasting about how amazing the Lord is. And, it's vital for our faith. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). Our hope is in the faithful and unchanging character of a Good and All-Powerful God that has proven Himself over and over and over again throughout history and throughout our lives. Praise fuels our faith that the Lord is still God OVER everything, able to do more than we can ask or think.
I love basketball and I am amazed at what many of these great athletes can do. However, they can't hold a candle to my God – the Lord, who created all things. They pale in comparison to my Jesus, who conquered death and bought my freedom with His life. I don't get much from boasting about my favorite basketball team, but when I boast about Our Lord I get strength. When I talk about the power of God I'm encouraged. My praise enlivens my faith to believe God will do "it" again; that He will stoop down to see what I'm going through and lift me up when I'm at my lowest.
Questions:
1. How do YOU praise God?
2. What are three things for which you can brag on the Lord?
Here's a great song on praise...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvganA6nrf0&feature=kp
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