Nothing promotes peace faster than praising the Lord for his mercy, goodness, and love. Whether we praise Him in song, conversation, worship, or prayer, our spirits are renewed, and we experience an outpouring of his kindness. When we praise God from our hearts, we allow Him to manifest His power and presence in our lives.Consider some examples from the Bible that give us reasons to praise and worship God:
• PRAISE ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD. (Psalm 150:1-6)
• Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! (Psalm 107:8)
• Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. (Psalm 145:2-3).
• In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me. (Psalm 56:4)
• UNTO thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare (Psalm 75:1).
We can learn to develop an attitude of praise and thanksgiving even when life presents us
with challenges. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, we read, “In everything given thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (NKJV).
Now, Paul does not counsel us to be thankful for everything but in everything. We don’t have to thank God that our husband lost his job, but we can be grateful that we have food to eat and loving friends and family members who care about us. We aren’t asked to thank God for illness or adversity, but we can praise Him for His strength, mercy, and loving kindness that carries us through difficult times.
We can incorporate praise and worship into our everyday lives. We can praise God when we’re driving, doing the dishes, and talking with friends. We can praise the Lord when we’re cleaning our house, weeding a garden, or taking a walk. Praising God can become an integral part of our lives.
The Lord gives us so much and asks for so little. One thing He expects of His children is that they have grateful hearts and that they appreciate His goodness. Nothing is more frustrating that when we give generously to our children and they show no gratitude in return. Surely, we must sadden our Creator when we fail to acknowledge His hand in every good thing in our lives. Today, let us “ praise thee, O Lord, among the people:[let us] I will sing unto thee among the nations.”
© Carol Brown
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Carol, we are not smart enough to know what to be thankful for. your husband losing his job might be the greatest blessing you will ever receive? What if he would have been killed and taken from you driving to work one day? what if....? You see, many things in life that are tough, are really a blessing. that is why we have faith that no matter what, God is in control. Romans 8:28
ReplyDeleteTerry
Dear Terry,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. Your insights are powerful and profound. From my own experience, I have learned that the greatest trials in life provide us with the greatest opportunities to increase our faith in God and to trust in His loving care.
Thank you for reminding us of the beautiful promises in Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
When I am in the midst of adversity, I sometimes cannot see the big picture. However, when I look back on my greatest trials, I realize that God was carrying me all along. Perhaps our challenge is to recognize God's hand in all things when we are in the midst of severe trials so that we can endure them better. That is sometimes easier said than done but definitely promotes peace.
Thanks again for your comment.
Here is a post that I hope shares some of the ideas that you mentioned in your comment:
ReplyDeletehttp://findingpeaceamidsorrow.blogspot.com/2010/07/blessings-of-adversity.html