PRAISE THE LORD!

One of the most overworked and under heeded expressions of our day is the phrase “Praise the Lord!” What does it really say? It’s a command not just a phrase to identify ourselves as members of a club or organization. It is not to be used as a catch-phrase or a buzz-word or as a showy means of showing religiosity without spiritual content, and too many times it is just that.

As Mr. George Miles, president of the Washington Bible College used to say, “Don’t just say ‘Praise the Lord’, PRAISE THE LORD.” It is something to do not something to say. It is an activity we direct toward God not a buzz-word to declare before man.

This raises a serious dilema; what do we mean by praising the Lord and how do we carry it out?

Praise to the Lord simply means giving Him credit and reverence and gratitude for all the things He has done, all that He is and all that He is doing in us. It takes various forms; prayer, singing, giving, Bible reading and fellowship, all directed toward God and esteeming His character, His Headship, His Sovereignty, His love, His grace and mercy, His holiness, His glory, His faithfulness, His generosity, and so on.

King David wrote: “Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness” (Psalm 39: 4). Singing unto the Lord and honoring Him for Who He is, for His holiness, His mercy, His love is a great place to start.

Jesus taught us to pray, thus, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed (honored) be thy name” (Matthew 6: 9) and in verse 13, “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.”

Think of what He did in sending Jesus Christ, His Son to die for us to give us life by faith in His blood, and think upon His holy Word. And “... be filled the Spirit speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ ... “ (Ephesians 5: 18-20). We should “give thanks unto God for his unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9: 15), the Lord Jesus and all He gives us, “whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye (1 Peter 1: 8).

To love someone is to bring his / her name and character before the attention of others to magnify or extol their virtues. The Psalmist writes again: “I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me” (Psalm 30: 1).

We praise God when we witness or testify of His faithfulness, His love, His care and condern, as well as His mighty power to save souls and answer prayer. We are encouraged by Paul to “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, rejoice” (Philippians 4: 4) for what He has done, for what He is doing and what He shall do in the future.

God’s children may say; “Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness: To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever” (Psalm 30: 12).