|
Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah. For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name. Thou wilt prolong the king's life: and his years as many generations. He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him. So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows. |
|
This week marks the last week of winter, Saturday will be the first day of spring. On this LORD's day, let us foremost remember and revere the life, sufferings and the resurrection of our LORD Jesus Christ.
Keeping this in view as we must always in Christ, I did not want to discuss any particular subject this week, but rather to leave behind winter and welcome in Spring just sharing some verses offering praise and thanks to the LORD with a wish of hope for all as we patiently await the blooming of the flowers and the looking forward to the beauty of God's earth on a spring day. If you're following along with an open Bible, you won't have to turn too many pages either, as the theme is praise & thanks from the Psalms. The theme seems to run endlessly throughout the Psalms; so because of the exhaustive nature of the study and time restraints, we'll just barely "scratch the surface" on this in the Psalms, yet alone the whole Bible.
"I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law. This I had, because I kept thy precepts." (Psalm 119:55,56).
"O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever." (Psalm 136:26).
Thanks & praise go hand in hand. Thanks involves gratitude and praise identifies with worship. So we must not only worship our LORD, but continually thank Him for all He has blessed us with, even when we are suffering servere afflictions.
"O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake. Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed. Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die; And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord. So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations." (Psalm 79:8-13).
"Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions. I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people. Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause. For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land. Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it. This thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me. Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord. Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me. Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up. Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me. Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long." (Psalm 35:17-28).
"Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise. Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD." (Psalm 106:47,48).
Why should the praise of our LORD be continually on our lips? Because we are children of Christ who is the Word of God and throught the Word we are commanded to praise our LORD. To be a true Christian or Christ-like individual we put these commandments into action by God's grace working in us; if God's grace is not in us we cannot truly praise Him in an acceptable manner:
"I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him." (Psalm 22:22,25).
"O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name." (Psalm 74:21).
"I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD." (Psalm 104:33-35).
"Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised. The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high, Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth! He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people. He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD." (Psalm 113).
"All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee." (Psalm 145:10).
In Closing, I'd just like the leave the reader with the exhortation to not only praise our LORD but to focus a little more on thanking Him this week for His many blessings which none of us deserve:
"Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness." (Psalm 97:10-12).
|