“Blessed be the Lord, because He has heard the voice of my supplications! The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him.” Psalm 28:6-7
In life you have a reason for everything. You’re getting up to go to work today for a very specific reason. You live, play, and rear your family where you do for another very specific set of reasons. Even unbeknownst to you, subconsciously, you will make untold decisions today based on reasons that lie deep within you. Without reason, without cause, things fall apart quickly. I mean without a really good reason driving you why would you continue through the hardships of said event? You see this play out countless times in the pursuit of a four-year college degree. Young lives head off to college because family, friends, and peers encourage them to, yet when the trials of a college level work-load demands all they have, they fail to fall back on the true personal reason they are there. You see, without reason driving our lives, they will flail in the wind as they strive for purchase. And it is no different with praising the Lord. What is the reason today for your praise to Almighty God?
David was a man with passion-fueled reasoning. The Psalms are not simply filled with hollow words and deeds of praise, but filled with the reasons for praise. You see, David was very succinct in why the Psalms were written. Within them lie the very bedrock of the praiseworthiness of God. And Psalm 28 is no different. Within our study verses we see David first lay out the reason for His praise as His voice is soon lifted thereafter. Almost like a recipe for praise unto the Lord, first mix in all your ingredients of praise unto the Lord and then bake into a perfect cake of a voice lifted to the Heavens to thank their Savior.
Praise filled to overflowing with reason hinges on the word ‘because.’ Five words into verse 5, David’s Holy Spirit filled poem mentions just that word…because. You see, reason-filled praise is cause and effect. Praise is not a solitary sporadic event, but one sparked by the recognition of the goodness of God. David could say I praise you Lord because you have heard my prayers. I praise you because you have proven yourself to be my strength in weakness and a shield to me when in danger. I praise you Lord for when I trust in you, you never fail. David first recalled the goodness and faithfulness of God and then within that rock-solid reasoning, he offered up His song to the Lord in praise of that reason. Today, take a few minutes and compile a spiritual blessings inventory. Look to the spiritual blessings that the Lord has showered down upon your soul. Next take a physical inventory and look to the way that God richly provides for you, one of His flock. And as you take those inventories, be sure to log a careful accounting of each line item. For within each of those blessings lies the reason for your praise. Jesus is worthy of our praise and worship, not simply because it is necessary or expected, but because there is a reason for it. I pray that today your praise to the Lord is a heart-generated praise that is full of abundant reason. That no matter your circumstance or situation, you can praise and worship Christ because His hand is apparent in your life. For a life filled with the Salvation of Jesus…is a life filled with reason to praise indeed.
“Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” Revelation 5:11-13
PS ~ Margie and I are taking a few weeks off in Cozumel, Mexico to renew and be still with the Lord. I will be writing but not posting. God bless each of you, I pray for you daily.
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