Monday, November 24, 2008

Praise Power

“May the Lord be praised! Day after day He bears our burdens; God is our salvation.” “God, You are awe-inspiring in Your sanctuaries. The God of Israel gives power and strength to His people. May God be praised.” (Psalm 68:19, 35 CSB)

Praise is a uniquely human expression of admiration, adoration, adulation toward one for whom there is appreciation and affection. People are created with the capacity for praise. The fact of this capability actually argues for the existence of God and the truth of creation.

Christians are people who choose to give the full praise of their hearts to God and God alone. We praise Him because of who He is and what He is like. He is a God of grace and compassion. He is also a God who instructs and disciplines as expressions of His love. He is the all-powerful Creator of the universe. He is, therefore, worthy of our praise.

We also praise God because of what He does. We know Him as the God who has saved us from the penalty of our sins. He has rescued us from the eternity of hell by His gracious act on the cross and by the power of His resurrection, so that we might have eternity with Him and with all His people and creation in heaven. He has set us free from the domination of sin now so that we can live a life of joy and peace on this earth

When we praise our Lord, this action has a way of unleashing the power of the Holy Spirit in us. It is not our power but God’s power, but we nevertheless find it energizing. It gives us a zest for life and helps us look beyond the temporal.

Lord, We praise You for who You are, because of who we are. Amen.

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