Praise Is Due
Opening Prayer
Holy Spirit, help me to grow in my knowledge of You and my ability to praise God.
Read Psalm 65
1 Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion;
to you our vows will be fulfilled.
2 You who answer prayer,
to you all people will come.
3 When we were overwhelmed by sins,
you forgave our transgressions.
4 Blessed are those you choose
and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,
of your holy temple.
5 You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,
God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas,
6 who formed the mountains by your power,
having armed yourself with strength,
7 who stilled the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
and the turmoil of the nations.
8 The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy.
9 You care for the land and water it;
you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,
for so you have ordained it.
10 You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
11 You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance.
12 The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;
the hills are clothed with gladness.
13 The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with grain;
they shout for joy and sing.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
How easy do you find it is to praise God?Circumstances make praising God tough sometimes. People can discourage and overwhelm us, draining our goodwill. Our physical condition and health may also undermine our best efforts to praise him. Today’s psalm makes it clear that God is due praise. Every word flowing from David’s heart speaks of God’s greatness, strength, blessing and mercy. We know that David’s life was not all sunshine and roses; he struggled and sinned, was pursued and persecuted. Yet, he still lived a life of praise.
The more that inquisitive, scientific minds discover about the wonder and intricacy of our world, the more our hearts can respond with praise to God’s wisdom in creation and his care and involvement in it. God is not an absentee landlord. His fingerprints are everywhere for anyone with eyes to see (Rom. 1:20).
David focused on God’s goodness and generosity, and praise seemed to flow as a consequence. Could this be true for us? If we maintained a more concerted focus on God’s character, could this make it easier and more natural for praise of God to flow from our hearts and mouths?
Apply
Focus on an attribute of God’s character and write down a prayer of praise about it.
Closing prayer
Lord, may my heart sing with joy because of You today.
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