Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful. Praise the LORD with the harp; make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy. For the word of the LORD is right, and all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD. Psalm 33: 1-5, NKJV.
Most Gracious God and Creator, as we enter the study of Your Word, we do it rejoicing in Your mercy. We ask for wisdom and knowledge to be able to see what messages are there for us. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
What a wonderful experience praising the LORD can be. There is nothing more refreshing, revitalizing, and restoring, than to praise the LORD. I have noticed that many who praise the Lord with all their hearts, do it from a sense of gratitude. They have something special for which they are grateful. Many have been spared from sickness, or death, or some kind of loss. Many feel as if their lives have been given back to them. I am one who feel that way.
But regardless of what our praise might represent to us, the fact is, that, God deserves our praise! And even though we who offer this praise are unworthy, God enjoys it when His children praise Him. The psalm begins, “Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful.” Obviously, God is speaking about the praise of His people. Those who have accepted Christ’s righteousness as theirs; those who are, by His grace, walking as He walked, in uprightness.
This seems quite logical. The natural human heart does not feel gratitude. It always wants more. It always believes it deserves, more. On the other hand, those who are saved by grace, those who have received a new heart, “a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36: 26), realize that they do not deserve any good thing. They know, that if they were tried and sentenced as they deserve, the verdict would be death, because that is the wages of sin. Therefore, their praise is spontaneous. It flows from a heart that has been touched by the love of God! It is a thank offering to the LORD! He has freed them from death! He has given them a new lease on life!
They praise the LORD with all that they are, and with all that they have. There are times when others will not understand why they worship God the way they do. But as I have said before, I truly believe that the way we worship the LORD is oftentimes reflective of our life experience. “But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little” (Luke 7: 47b).
Another aspect of their praise that is worthy of mention, is that it is always new. As they journey through life, their experiences change, and so does their song. The lyrics of their song changes from time to time, because they have learned to praise God, even in the sad times. For He gives them “songs in the night” (Job 35: 10)!
The reason God’s people praise Him the way we do, is because we are grateful for the manner in which He has dealt with us. We have experienced His goodness. He is just and righteous! Everywhere we look their is evidence of His acts of kindness, goodness, and mercy! The earth is full of His goodness!
It is a good thing to offer praise to the God of our salvation. If you have not been praising Him, now is a good time to start!