The Essence of Praise

Sometimes, it seems hard to praise. It shouldn’t be, but it can be. Something’s not going the way I want it to. I just don’t feel in the mood. But not praising in all circumstances isn’t just not okay, it’s a sign of not truly understanding God’s character. He’s not just God when my situation is rosy; He’s God all the time.

I’ve written about praising continuously before (See January ‘06 and December ’06, to name a couple entries). When God appears to be about to answer something major I’ve prayed about for a long time, I sometimes start to get ahead of Him. I begin to predict—or sometimes expect—an outcome where God is actually telling me to wait just a little longer for His answer. It’s when I lose my focus on Him that things start to go another direction, usually to remind me to trust His timing. In these situations, praising God—simply because He is—is essential. It helps me—and you—understand God’s core—that no matter what happens in my life, He is gracious, loving, and all those great “Os” you may have learned growing up: Omnipresent (everywhere); Omniscient (all-knowing); Omnipotent (all-powerful). When I was young I knew these descriptions of God’s character by denotation; now I know them by connotation. And when I think and act on them, I’m transformed beyond my situation, and my focus turns back to Him. Here’s a passage to meditate on. Let it be a reminder of how—and why—we praise Him.

PSALM 100
1 Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!
2 Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
3 Know that the LORD, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;[a]
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
5 For the LORD is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20100;&version=50 (NKJV); http://www.ibs.org/niv/passagesearch.php?passage_request=psalm+100&niv=yes&submit=Lookup (NIV)