“Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Do not put your trust in princes,
Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.
His spirit departs, he returns to his earth;
In that very day his plans perish.
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God,
Who made heaven and earth,
The sea, and all that is in them;
Who keeps truth forever,
Who executes justice for the oppressed,
Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.
The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the strangers;
He relieves the fatherless and widow;
But the way of the wicked He turns upside down.
The Lord shall reign forever—
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord!” ~Psalm 146 NKJV
TODAY is the day to praise the Lord! Tomorrow is not guaranteed for you and I and we must not delay in giving the LORD the praise that He is due. Praise the Lord while you still have your being, because who knows what debilitating trouble may be just around the corner. Praise the Lord because He is worthy of all praise and because He loves us!
Take a look at the psalm above…it is littered with reasons to give honor, glory, and praise to our Redeemer and King. Here are a few directly from or inferred in this passage:
-He is trustworthy (unlike the princes or peoples of this world)
-He is the Creator of everything that exists
-He is absolutely and utterly truthful
-He executes perfect justice
-He feeds the hungry and gives freedom to the prisoner
-He opens blind eyes
-He raises up the weary, the discouraged, those bowed low
-He loves righteousness and those who practice it
-He guards or protects those who are away from their home
-He lifts up the fatherless and widow
-He is opposed to wickedness and those who practice it
-He shall reign forever!
I know life can be quite discouraging, sad, and difficult. Yet, when our eyes are focused on the One who loves us enough to transform us into the likeness of Christ, we find strength for our daily journey and grace to be able to praise Him through thick and thin. My prayer for you and for me is that we will choose today to trust Him and that He will reign preeminent in our thoughts, our words, and our actions.
I love you and He loves you even more. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Soli Deo Gloria!