PRAISE IS WHAT WE DO

SCRIPTURE

Psalm 150 (NRSV)
Praise to God

Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty firmament!
Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his surpassing greatness!

Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!
Praise him with clanging cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!

DEVOTION

Today’s psalm reminds us of the importance of praising the Lord! First and foremost we are to praise God for who God is! Notice the psalm starts by saying, “Praise the Lord!”

About six years ago, a college student said to me, “I pray that the day will come when I look for God’s face, rather than God’s hands.” Wow! That statement was so powerful!

When I asked her to say more, she explained to me that she was concerned that most people seek God because they want something, not because they really desire to be in God’s Holy Presence.

I think the Psalmist knew this when he started the psalm by saying, “Praise the Lord!”
In other words, praise God just for being God. Adore God’s face. Appreciate God’s love and friendship. Exalt in God’s attributes and characteristics.

After you get steeped in God’s love, grace, and goodness, praise God for God’s provision! Isn’t God good to us? Doesn’t God provide everything that we need? Wasn’t God supremely gracious when God made provision for our sin to be forgiven and for us to inherit eternal life?

If you start counting your blessings and naming them one by one, you will quickly find that you can’t recite all of the good and all of the blessing that God has poured into your life. On a daily basis, we are encouraged by the psalmist to praise God for mighty deeds and surpassing
greatness!

Don’t take your blessings for granted my friends! Remember it is always polite to say, “Thank You!”

Finally, as you make loving, adoring, and thanking God a part of your daily routine, please remember that it is always in order to praise the Lord!

The psalmist told us many of the musical instruments that can be used to praise God, but I believe that there is an even greater lesson here! I think the psalm reminds us that we are to
use anything—and everything—we have to praise the Lord!

In 2009 we might say:

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord at work;
Praise the Lord at home!
Praise God for who God is;
Praise the God for what God has done!
Praise the Lord on your cell phone;
Praise the Lord on your Blackerry!
Praise the Lord on your computer;
Praise the Lord on your Facebook and Twitter accounts!
Praise the Lord as you Google and watch YouTube;
Praise the Lord as you jam to your Ipod and watch TV!
Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord!
Praise ye the Lord!

See?

We can use all that God has gifted us with, to share the GOOD NEWS with others! As we live into an attitude of gratitude, praise, and thanksgiving, God’s Name will be exalted everywhere that we go!

As we share our GOOD NEWS testimonies with our friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers, our joy will become contagious!

As we bear witness to The Truth that God loves, gave, and saves, we will become God’s partners, sharing the love of God which gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life!

Now, let me say one last thing. Praise is not to be reserved for Sunday. Praise is not to be reserved only for people who are leaders in the church. Praise is not only for when things are going well and we are happy! No, no, my friends!

Praise is what we do 24/7/365...
Praise is simply who we are…

If you are a Christian then you have reason enough to praise the Lord! Even if God never, ever, did anything else for you, sending Jesus to the cross would be enough.

But, aren’t you glad God isn’t finished blessing us! Today, we are living and breathing! Today, we have the activity of our bodies and minds! Today, we have the gift of our family and friends!

Today, we are abundantly blessed!

Come on everybody! Let’s say it together!

PRAISE THE LORD!

Now, ain’ta that GOOD NEWS?!

Will you make up your mind to praise God today?

Hallelujah! You are worthy of all of my praise! How I love you, my God! You are so loving and so good! Thank you for all of the many ways that you bless me day, after day, after day! I can’t even begin to list all of the many benefits that you have shared with me. Please make me bold to share my GOOD NEWS testimony with others! I love you and I want others to love you too. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.




ANNOUNCEMENTS

If you have additional questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, "Come to Jesus"
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html

You are invited to follow Pastor Yolanda on Twitter www.twitter.com/PastorYolanda

Good News has now added a Prayer Ministry. http://www.kindlejoy.com/groups/goodnews

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From Pastor Yolanda's blog http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com