All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name. Psalms 66:4 ESV

     Keep it simple. Let everyone simply give the Lord our God and Savior worship and praise. Many times I fear that we try to overthink God. The fact is that God is greater than our minds could ever comprehend. I know there are times when God doesn’t make sense, and people may have questions and attempt to understand what He is doing or why He doesn’t act in a certain way. But in simple faith we must believe His ways and thoughts are higher than ours. The book of Isaiah addressed this in chapter 55 verse 9 , “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my way higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (ESV) The proof of this statement is the fact that He sent His only Son to die in our place for the consequence of our sin. Think about it. Let me make this comparison. How would you react to a friend with whom you had a wonderful relationship, that wounded you and created a debt in the relationship beyond what words could describe? Would you say, “I will sacrifice my only child to pay this debt and restore what was lost due to my friends poor choice?” Honestly…. I don’t think so. Yet in reality that is exactly what God did…. His ways and thoughts are higher than ours. In the book of Psalms we find much concerning praising God and more. But today I would like for us to focus on praise. Simple praise by not trying to over think the reality of who, what, where, when, and the whys of God…. Just simple praise.

PRAISE HIM AS SAVIOR!
     Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Jude 1:24-25 ESV  This verse says so much as to the power and authority of God and what He does in your life…. “keeps you from stumbling”. It also states what He will do… “present you blameless.” Justified… Just as if I’d never sinned. He is able to do so because He has the authority to make it so. Therefore our lips should praise him with song and worship Him for this great thing He has done. Do not try to make sense of it; just praise and worship Him with much thanksgiving.

 

PRAISE HIM AS FREIND!

     Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. John 15:13-14 ESV When Jesus was asked by the Pharisees what the greatest commandment was, Jesus replied, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37 ESV

     Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole HEART. Psalm 111:1

     My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my SOUL also, which you have redeemed Psalm 71:23

     I will sing praise with my spirit but I will sing with my MIND also. 1 Corinthians 14:15b ESV

     This is how to praise Jesus as a friend /Savior . You praise him with heart, soul and mind. Everything within you needs to cry out to Him in praise. The closer you are as a friend the more you will cherish and enjoy speaking of how He redeemed you. Realizing you could never pay Him back, you sing His praises. That is much of what you see in the Psalms… written by those who have come to simply praise him.

 

Because of His Grace ~ Pastor David