JUST PRAISE THE LORD

TEXT: PSALMS 118:27-29

🔑KEY VERSE “Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee” (PSALMS 118:28)

A medical doctor turned missionary shared his experience as a medical doctor. According to him, he had a number of patients who complained about their physical ills. They were never positive about themselves. It was from one complaint to another. But on the other hand, he also came across patients who gave thanks to God for every aspect of their lives, including the medications. And he discovered that such patients got healed faster than their complaining counterparts. In fact, it was in the course of the investigation that he became saved.

This is what the Psalmist emphasised in our text today. God has shown us the light of salvation through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. He is our God and we must give Him praise due to Him. As we sing praises to God either in joint congregational worship or during personal worships and devotions, we must do it with good understanding of who He is: His greatness and majesty, whose Kingdom is everlasting and spans through the length and breadth of the entire universe.

Many people know how to ask and receive but do not know how to show appreciation. Yet, there are many things for which you need to be grateful to God. First, God brought you into existence; gave up His only begotten son so that your soul will not be lost. He keeps protecting you day and night. He provides you with food, clothing and shelter. He fights your battles and heals you when you are sick. Today and always, you have a reason to praise God. Develop the habit of praising Him; and as you do this always, His glory and power will be revealed in your circumstances.

✍THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Praise God for who He is.

BIBLE IN A YEAR 2 KINGS 5-6

MEDITATION

When all else Fail, try Praises

1. We give Thanks to God in appreciation of what He has done while we give praises to God because of His attributes, vv27-29.
2. God’s attributes has to do with His unchanging nature: His omnipotence, omnipresent, omniscience, goodness, love, holiness etc.
3. Praise and Thanksgiving are interwoven because it is the essence or the nature of God that brings blessings worthy of Thanksgiving.
4. While there is a remembrance of His benefits bestowed during Thanksgiving, praise is unconditional and must be continual. The major and eternal duty of angels is praising God.
   (see Isaiah 6:1-3)
5. God and His majesty should be praised greatly, grandly, heartily, continuously and in the beauty of holiness unconditionally.
6. Great blessings which mere prayers could not bring have been received through genuine praises of God.
7. Praise is comely, and when all else fails, try praises like Jehoshaphat did in 2Chronicles 20:20-23

Question: Mention scriptural passages that support the above points

LIFTING UP HOLY HANDS

1. Lord, I ask for more of your revelations in my inner man
2. Lord, cloth me with a garment of praise and let praise continually be on my lips
   Spend some time to praise God for His attributes
3. Lord, remove every garment of mourning, depression, complaining and despondency from all your children in the church and replace it with the heart and garment of praise

HYMN
PRAISE HIM, PRAISE HIM

1. Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus our blessed Redeemer,
   Sing, O earth, His wonderful love proclaim;
   Hail Him! Hail Him! highest archangels in glory,
   Strength and honour give to His holy name.
   Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard His children,
   In His arms He carries them all day long;
   O ye saints that dwell on the mountain of Zion,
   Praise Him! Praise Him! ever in joyful song.
2. Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus our blessed Redeemer,
   For our sins He suffer’d and bled and died;
   He, our rock, our hope of eternal salvation,
   Hail Him! Hail Him! Jesus the Crucified.
   Loving Saviour, meekly enduring sorrow,
   Crown’d with thorns that cruelly pierc’d His brow;
   Once for us rejected, despis’d and forsaken,
   Prince of Glory, ever triumphant now.
3. Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus our blessed Redeemer,
   Heav’nly portals, loud with hosannahs ring;
   Jesus, Saviour, reigneth forever and ever,
   Crown Him! Crown Him! Prophet and Priest and King!
   Death is vanquish’d! Tell it with joy, ye faithful,
   Where is now thy victory, boasting grave?
   Jesus lives! no longer thy portals are cheerless,
   Jesus lives, the mighty and strong to save.