Worthy of Our Praise

Comment: We should always have time to lift our voice and give praise. God has blessed us with much more then we deserve and will continue demonstrate evidence of His abundance in our lives. God is most worthy of our praise!

Verse: Psalms 145

 ^{1 [a]} I will exalt you, my God the King;
       I will praise your name for ever and ever.
 ² Every day I will praise you
       and extol your name for ever and ever.
 ³ Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
       his greatness no one can fathom.
 ⁴ One generation will commend your works to another;
       they will tell of your mighty acts.
 ⁵ They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
       and I will meditate on your wonderful works. ^[b]
 6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works,
       and I will proclaim your great deeds.
 ⁷ They will celebrate your abundant goodness
       and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
 ⁸ The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
       slow to anger and rich in love.
 ⁹ The LORD is good to all;
       he has compassion on all he has made.
 ¹⁰ All you have made will praise you, O LORD;
       your saints will extol you.
 ¹¹ They will tell of the glory of your kingdom
       and speak of your might,
 ¹² so that all men may know of your mighty acts
       and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
 ¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
       and your dominion endures through all generations.
       The LORD is faithful to all his promises
       and loving toward all he has made. ^[c]
 14 The LORD upholds all those who fall
       and lifts up all who are bowed down.
 ¹⁵ The eyes of all look to you,
       and you give them their food at the proper time.
 ¹⁶ You open your hand
       and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
 ¹⁷ The LORD is righteous in all his ways
       and loving toward all he has made.
 ¹⁸ The LORD is near to all who call on him,
       to all who call on him in truth.
 ¹⁹ He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
       he hears their cry and saves them.
 ²⁰ The LORD watches over all who love him,
       but all the wicked he will destroy.
 ²¹ My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
       Let every creature praise his holy name
       for ever and ever.

Victory!

Comment: The Lord knows us better then we know ourselves. Before we speak a word, before we think a thought, before was make a choice, God is there and knows our hearts. He is there, ready to guide us to victory.

Verse: Psalms 139

 ¹ O LORD, you have searched me
       and you know me.
 ² You know when I sit and when I rise;
       you perceive my thoughts from afar.
 ³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
       you are familiar with all my ways.
 ⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
       you know it completely, O LORD.
 ⁵ You hem me in—behind and before;
       you have laid your hand upon me.
 ⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
       too lofty for me to attain.
 ⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
       Where can I flee from your presence?
 ⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
       if I make my bed in the depths, ^[a] you are there.
 ⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
       if I settle on the far side of the sea,
 ¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
       your right hand will hold me fast.
 ¹¹ If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
       and the light become night around me,"
 ¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
       the night will shine like the day,
       for darkness is as light to you.
 ¹³ For you created my inmost being;
       you knit me together in my mother's womb.
 ¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
       your works are wonderful,
       I know that full well.
 ¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
       when I was made in the secret place.
       When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
 ¹⁶ your eyes saw my unformed body.
       All the days ordained for me
       were written in your book
       before one of them came to be.
 ¹⁷ How precious to ^[b] me are your thoughts, O God!
       How vast is the sum of them!
 ¹⁸ Were I to count them,
       they would outnumber the grains of sand.
       When I awake,
       I am still with you.
 ¹⁹ If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
       Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
 ²⁰ They speak of you with evil intent;
       your adversaries misuse your name.
 ²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
       and abhor those who rise up against you?
 ²² I have nothing but hatred for them;
       I count them my enemies.
 ²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart;
       test me and know my anxious thoughts.
 ²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
       and lead me in the way everlasting.

A Purposeful Life

Comment: We should be ready to praise God in all circumstances. His purpose for our life will be revealed through patient study of His word. Through God we can be bold, facing any challenge, living a life focused on the humility and unwavering love of Jesus Christ.

Verse: Psalm 138:1 - 8

 ¹ I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;
       before the "gods" I will sing your praise.
 ² I will bow down toward your holy temple
       and will praise your name
       for your love and your faithfulness,
       for you have exalted above all things
       your name and your word.
 ³ When I called, you answered me;
       you made me bold and stouthearted.
 ⁴ May all the kings of the earth praise you, O LORD,
       when they hear the words of your mouth.
 ⁵ May they sing of the ways of the LORD,
       for the glory of the LORD is great.
 ⁶ Though the LORD is on high, he looks upon the lowly,
       but the proud he knows from afar.
 ⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
       you preserve my life;
       you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes,
       with your right hand you save me.
 ⁸ The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
       your love, O LORD, endures forever—
       do not abandon the works of your hands.

The Truth

Comment: Prayer and praise allow our faith to grow and provide even more opportunities for God to intervene on our behalf. Our ability to share the truth of our situation through prayer is an essential aspect of our faith that can empower our lives and transform the lives of others.

Verse: James 5:13 - 20

¹³Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. ¹⁴Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. ¹⁶Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
 ¹⁷Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. ¹⁸Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. ¹⁹My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, ²⁰remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Clap Your Hands

Comment: How often are we able to let go of our worries and simply thank God for His intervention and place in our lives? Today is the day to simply clap our hands and praise.

Verse: Psalms 47

 ¹ Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!
         Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
 ² For the LORD Most High is awesome;
         He is a great King over all the earth.
 ³ He will subdue the peoples under us,
         And the nations under our feet.
 ⁴ He will choose our inheritance for us,
         The excellence of Jacob whom He loves.  Selah  
         
 ⁵ God has gone up with a shout,
         The LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
 ⁶ Sing praises to God, sing praises!
         Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
 ⁷ For God is the King of all the earth;
         Sing praises with understanding. 
         
 ⁸ God reigns over the nations;
         God sits on His holy throne.
 ⁹ The princes of the people have gathered together,
         The people of the God of Abraham. 
         For the shields of the earth belong to God; 
         He is greatly exalted.

His Love Endures Forever

Comment: We can always make the choice to give praise and thank the Lord for all that he has done in our lives. No matter how complicated we feel our situation has become. We must remember that God's love endures forever. He is always worthy of our praise.


Verse: Psalms 106: 1 - 8

 ¹ Praise the LORD. ^[a]
       Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
       his love endures forever.

 ² Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD
       or fully declare his praise?

 ³ Blessed are they who maintain justice,
       who constantly do what is right.

 ⁴ Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people,
       come to my aid when you save them,

 ⁵ that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,
       that I may share in the joy of your nation
       and join your inheritance in giving praise.

 ⁶ We have sinned, even as our fathers did;
       we have done wrong and acted wickedly.

 ⁷ When our fathers were in Egypt,
       they gave no thought to your miracles;
       they did not remember your many kindnesses,
       and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea. ^[b]
8 Yet he saved them for his name's sake,

       to make his mighty power known.

In His Presence

Comment: We have so much for which to be thankful. God has demonstrated over and over again that His blessings will surpass our expectations. Our challenge is to remain faithful, humble, and obedient.

Verse: Psalms 68:3 - 6

³ But let the godly rejoice.
      Let them be glad in God’s presence.
      Let them be filled with joy.
 ⁴ Sing praises to God and to his name!
      Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds.
   His name is the Lord—
      rejoice in his presence!
 ⁵ Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—
      this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
 ⁶ God places the lonely in families;
      he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.
   But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

Priceless Inheritance

Comment: Too often we take for granted the wonderful things that lie ahead for those who follow Christ. Although we have days or even weeks when our faith is tested, such trials are designed to help us remain thankful for our priceless inheritance.

Verse: 1 Peter 1

 ³ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, ⁴ and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. ⁵ And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.
 ⁶ So be truly glad.^[b] There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. ⁷ These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

Confidence...

Comment: Confidence has the ability to make even the toughest challenges seem more manageable. We are encouraged to have no fear by placing our confidence in the Lord. Our confidence can only grow stronger as we remember to praise and thank the Lord for his unwavering gift of salvation and mercy.

Verse: Hebrews 13: 6 - 8; 15 - 16.

 ⁶ So we can say with confidence,
   “The Lord is my helper,
      so I will have no fear.
      What can mere people do to me?”^[c]
 7 Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.
 ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
...

 ¹⁵ Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. ¹⁶ And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

Boast

Commentary: It may sound a little odd to boast about the Lord. However, I bet after taking just a moment to consider all the areas in which you have been blessed - in spite of your circumstances - the easier it will become to boast and share in ways that are accessible to others the power of God's work in your life.


Scripture: Psalms 34: 1 - 7
1 I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him,  And delivers them.

Jump for Joy

Commentary: We have so much to be thankful for, even in our most challenging circumstances. We are encouraged to come before the Lord joyfully, singing praises and giving thanks. Although there may be times when our mood says otherwise, take the time to keep perspective. There is a much bigger picture, which often requires that we humble our motives and ourselves.

Scripture: Psalms 100

1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

 2 Worship the LORD with gladness;

       come before him with joyful songs.

 3 Know that the LORD is God.

       It is he who made us, and we are his [a] ;

       we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving

       and his courts with praise;

       give thanks to him and praise his name.

 5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;

       his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Sing Praise...

Commentary: Do we really believe the Lord is great and mighty? Let's make the time to sing praises that recognize the tremendous depth of his understanding and love for us.

Scripture: Psalms 147, Joy and Praise

 ¹ Praise the LORD. ^[a]
       How good it is to sing praises to our God,
       how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
 ² The LORD builds up Jerusalem;
       he gathers the exiles of Israel.
 ³ He heals the brokenhearted
       and binds up their wounds.
 ⁴ He determines the number of the stars
       and calls them each by name.
 ⁵ Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
       his understanding has no limit.
 ⁶ The LORD sustains the humble
       but casts the wicked to the ground.
 ⁷ Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving;
       make music to our God on the harp.