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This Week’s Devotional Topic
EXTREME PRAISE & CELEBRATION
Today is a celebration of worship and praise! Throughout scripture we are told to worship God, King of Kings and LORD of lords. And to praise Him with our whole heart, endless praise.
Psalms 34:1-3 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
Ephesians 1:3-6 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.
Here are a couple of examples showing the results of praise:
Listen to how the Shepherds respond to the Angels’ announcement and choir.
Luke 2:10-15 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
The presence of the LORD was experienced by the Priests as they praised Him when the ark was brought to the tabernacle.
II Chronicles 5:13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.
When you give praise or hear praise to God and meditate upon the reasons for praising Him it edifies you, building you up in your faith.
Psalms 150:1,2,6 Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven! Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness! Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD! Praise the LORD!
How should we praise Him?
Psalm 150:3-5 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
Psalms 106:1 Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psalms 100:1-5 Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth! Worship the LORD with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
Why praise? Because of who He is. His attributes and how they directly affect us. We should praise Him for what He has done, for giving us this beautiful world we live in, but most of all, for His Son, Jesus Christ, who gave his very life to provide the way of redemption for us — to empower God’s great plan of salvation, so that we might be saved. Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life.
As God provides for you and blesses you, praise Him and celebrate.
This week’s Scripture:
Ephesians 3:1-6; Psalms 34:1-3; 100:1-5; 106:1; 150:1-6; Luke 2:10-15 and II Chronicles 5:13
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