“Songs of Praise”

 Psalm 92:1-2

It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to

 sing praises to Your name, O Most High. To 

declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, 

and Your faithfulness every night.  (NKJ)

     There are many things about this life that we don’t understand.  There are many situations that arise which cause us to question both the goodness and fairness of the Living God.  There are times when even our own circumstances seem too hard and undeserving.  I know from my own experience, that when I gave up on myself and of ever finding the real meaning to life, all that I longed for was death; to be rid of this cruel and unfair life that I didn’t ask for.  I can still recall sarcastically thanking God in my depression and drunken stupor for all the pain and misery I believed He had personally inflicted upon my life, because as far as I could tell, this was the reason He created me in the first place.  It's true that we live in a cruel and unfair world, but the darkness that consumes this world is not the result of a mean or unjust God, but from the most evil Enemy of God, the devil, his band of fallen angels, and his wicked human disciples. 

     The Lord does not force us to follow His Way.  Instead, He gives us a free will to choose the Way out of the darkness, or not.   But He knows how weak we are in the face of so many temptations, and many times He will nudge us a bit in His direction, because God loves us and His sovereign power can help us overcome our weakness to sin.  Because He knows we will always fall short of His glorious standards, He sacrificed His Son so our nakedness in sin would be clothed in the righteous robe of Christ Jesus.  We have in our Savior, my friends, a loving, righteous, and just God who deserves all of our thanks and praise, because without Him we would all be doomed to misery in Hell.  I have learned to believe and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as LORD over all things, and that He can transform any life, and fill any heart with His Truth.   It is for this reason that the Lord God deserves to hear our songs of praise.  Inner praise is a wonderful way to communicate your feelings to God, but singing them out so all of Heaven can hear them blesses the LORD even more.

                                           A Whisper of Hope

Sing to Me, My child…with thanksgiving and praise.  Nature teaches you to sing your gratitude; just as the birds of the sky do—singing songs of praise in the morning and with thanksgiving in the evening.  Do this in spite of what your circumstances may be, for when you do, I will be blessed greatly, and so will you.

Colossians 3:16

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom,

teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns

and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  (NKJ)

                           “He is your praise, and He is your God”

                                (Deuteronomy 10:21)