BLESSED IN PRAISING GOD AND BLESSED TO PRAISE GOD
The dead cannot sing praises to the LORD, for they have gone into the silence of the grave. Psalm 115:6
I am currently browsing through a book by Don Gossett entitled “There’s dynamite in Praise.” It hit me that we do thank God for many things but PRAISING Him goes to another level. It is a more intense and expressive form of saying thanks and it goes to the very heart of His character. As it relates to my life, praise includes adoration, adulation, deep thankfulness and gratefulness. It also includes an unbridled excitement about God’s working and His plan.
For most people praising God is fine when everything is going the way they want it to go, there are no detours or curves in their journey. As we grow with God and mature with Him, He will teach those who want to be taught and are teachable, just how to give Him the sacrifice of praise, just how to give Him acceptable fruit from our lips.
Praise is not seasonal: I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1
Praising God is a way of returning an acceptable ‘offering’: By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. Hebrews 13:5. Job 6:25 says: ‘ How forcible are right words’.
I do not consider myself ‘old’, retired yes, but not ‘old’. I want to think that I am like fine wine, aged to perfection! And even for the aged ones, we are told in Psalm 92:12 They shall bring forth fruit in old age. So, for the rest of my journey on this earth I am on a trajectory ( I love that word Lol!!) of praising God. It just came to my thoughts that in one of my ‘Prayer Letters’ I write about an encounter with a man I called “Brandon”.
I have written about so many different folk in those letters under pseudonyms, that sometimes I have forgotten the person’s real name! Anyhow, I had several telephone conversations with Brandon and the obvious was obvious! I visited him in hospital on a particular evening. He could barely talk and his very last words to me that evening, uttered in a hoarse, raspy voice were: “Praise God!” The next morning, a relative called to inform me that he had passed. I was neither surprised nor disheartened. He ‘ went down’ praising God.
This is what Gossett says on page 76 of his book: “Those who have formed the habit of praising God receive wonderful answers to their prayers. They not only enjoy good health, but they also have perfect peace, joy and victory in His service. Those who praise God are often the happiest people this side of Heaven.” So, let me play devil’s advocate for a moment. So is he saying that once I praise God I will always have good health and wonderful roses will be constantly strewn along the pathway of my life?
He gives a clarifying comment that may bring us some balance. But, before I give that comment though, let me say that I think that some folk may be ‘tricked’ into the Christian life by promises that God never gave! You can solidly trust God for what He says, not for what He did not say. We need to remember the ‘Count it all joy WHEN ye fall into divers temptations’ and Peter’s admonition: ‘Beloved, count it not strange concerning the fiery trial that is to try you…’ if folk think that becoming a Christian will insulate them from testing and trial and only bring them their concept of ‘prosperity’ and ‘blessings’, they have been sadly deluded by fallacious teachings. The grand and most revealing test of whether we really really understand what it means to praise God will come to us when ‘ adversity’ strikes. But many times in the life of the child of God, I underscore, the child of God, what appears to be adversity is in fact a mammoth blessing. You can see it and you know it because God has given you a spiritual vision and perspective, as you look through the binoculars of faith.
For clarification, in a general sense we are all children of God, descendants of Adam. The Bible always speaks of ‘ children of the devil.’ We en in dah category! The Word says that the Lord knows those who are His, he knows those who really trust Him and that those who really know Him will put their trust in Him. And I would add that those who really know God will praise Him, no matter what.
But, back to the quote from Gosset. After showing that it was the praises of Paul and Silas at midnight, while in prison, feet in stocks, that occasioned their deliverance, this is his comment:
“There are prisons not made with bars. Perhaps today, you are in a prison of doubt and uncertainty. Or you may be in a prison of sickness and suffering. Begin to praise the Lord – sacrificing praise unto Him for His love, His tender mercies, His healing power. You will discover yourself coming into a realm of grace where faith for healing will be easily grasped and deliverance from all forms of oppression will be yours. Praise His name.” Wonderful!
So, I am a praise girl! Though at times I do wish I did not feel so inhibited being expressive in public. I was not religiously raised in a culture of expressive praise – raising your hand, standing up etc. And, of course there are the extremes! But for me, praise is more about your life. The outward thing is fine once it is a sincere representation of reality – a life being lived to the glory of God and in full submission to His will. Not a perfect life….. but a perfect heart toward God! We cannot do enough to give to God all the praise that He really deserves. I will tweak Joshua’s words a bit and say, ‘ as for me and my house, WE WILL PRAISE THE LORD. You on the band wagon? Excellent!!!