Praise Ye the Lord

“Praise ye the LORD.”—Psalm 150:6b

The last phrase in the entire Book of Psalms is an exhortation to praise the Lord, which is an exhortation in itself as this verse segment ends a book filled not with just spiritual highs, but also many lows. 

I believe further revelation about the idea of praising the Lord can be summed up in Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” I believe God is telling us in this passage that we aren't to focus on the negative, but on the positive all around us. We are to think on the things that are lovely, of a good report, and that are virtuous, to name a few things that verse describes. And when we do think on these things, the end result can only be praise to our Lord.

As I go about my day, I am encouraged to be in constant communion with the Lord in praising His name and thinking on all the good I see in the world around me. For example, I can either concentrate my thoughts on the eczema spot that is developing on my daughter's forehead or I can praise the Lord that she can walk around the house, when so many children cannot. It's not that I shouldn't address the patch of dry skin on my child's forehead, but I must not let the negative aspects of such a condition overshadow all the good I can be thankful to God for about her health. I also shouldn't let it overshadow my hope and trust in God to clear this up somehow, when I bring this issue to Him in prayer. (For the sake of full disclosure, this last sentence convicts me because I haven't prayed for His guidance to either lead me to a product that will bring its healing or His power to heal it without my help!)

Work is a great spiritual testing place as it draws out either our praise or our complaints. I can be under so much pressure at work, with more and more paperwork stacking onto the already massive piles on my desk and start wondering if it will ever end. I can be grumpy that I don't have an assistant who can help me with my tasks as I assist others in my job. Or I can praise the Lord for giving me such a wonderful opportunity to be able to work part-time from home, while my daughter is young, even though I may not get everything done in a manner I would if I went into work every day at full-time hours.

Then, there is the guilt that comes so naturally to mothers. I can choose to be weighed down with guilt about not being able to give my daughter my full and undivided attention throughout the day, or I can praise God that while I'm working at home, she often plays near me and that we are at the very least in each others' presence. I can feel insecure for putting in a long  DVD for her to watch so that I can work at length on time-sensitive projects with little to no interruption. Or I can be grateful that I get to spend quality time with my daughter in the middle of my days by going to story times in the library, going on walks around the neighborhood, or even reading books together and playing tea time with her and her several Sesame Street plush dolls.

My favorite middle-of-the-day activity lately has been visiting a park and walking around with her as she discovers new sights, sounds, and textures. I enjoy listening to my daughter say hi to little girls her age and dogs her size. I savor the look in her eyes as she walks across a field 100x larger than anything she's traveled on with her own two feet before. I love the wonder in her expression as she takes in the largeness of the park fenced in with beautifully tall trees. I love the look of independence on her face as she follows her own path. What a treat that is! I may not get all the work done I thought I needed to complete in a day, but I get to experience my beautiful daughter as she discovers her world. So, what should I say? You got it, praise the Lord!

So, if I start feeling weighed down or guilty about what I'm doing or not doing or how I am or how I am not, I should ask God if there is any sin in what I'm doing. If there is, I need to ask Him to forgive me (1 John 1:9) and to gently correct my walk (Psalm 139: 23-24). If there is no sin, I then need to get my thoughts out of the guilt pit and onto the good that is happening all around me in every moment of every day. It may take some time at first to get my vision on the things God wants me to think about, but I believe with prayer and practice, thinking on the good and all that's mentioned in Philippians 4:8 will eventually become habit.

One final thought. If I am having a hard time thinking on the good right in front of me, that is the good in the temporal or physical realm, I am without excuse because the ultimate praise I have for Him is simply because He is and that I am His child.

So, just as the Book of Psalms ends, let us all be encouraged to redeem our time wisely by seeing something to praise Him for throughout our days on earth. While the natural man is not wired this way, thankfully, praising Him in Heaven will come naturally. Because only then, will we be freed from our sinful bodies and see Him as He is.

Praise ye the Lord!

Our Backyard (Spokane, WA)
March 26, 2014

He Crowns Our Years with His Goodness

“Thou crownest the year with thy goodness.”—Psalm 65:11a

My heart is not always effusive with joy. What I mean is, sometimes it is not easy for me to be thankful to God. Of course, in the general sense, I am thankful for Him and what He’s done in my life. I am even thankful for the hardships He has allowed me to go through because, not only has He brought me through my hardships, but He has taught me beautiful truths through the trials that are etched on my soul today.

But a general sort of thankfulness? No, that is not my natural state. I tend to examine the flaws of myself and of others, and study our deficiencies and what the Bible says are the solutions for them to satisfy my need to feel correct in my judgment.

While going to Scripture is a wonderful thing, the purpose I use Scripture for may not always be used with a “1-Corinthians-chapter-13” kind of love. You know, a love that is long-suffering and not prideful. A love that is not self-serving. A love that is hopeful. A love that is kind.

Truthfully, when I examine myself, I know I could use more of this kind of love toward myself and others. I know I could have more of a hopeful viewpoint from which to see the world.

This verse above simply says God crowns the years (and I believe we can rightly say “our” years) with His goodness, and what follows is how it speaks to my heart about thankfulness. I believe it is through the lens of God’s goodness from which I need to view the world. So, instead of seeing faults and getting bitter about those faults in myself and others, I see Him and His goodness. In everything.

See, He really does have the power to turn every situation into His glory, albeit for those that love Him (Romans 8:28). He can turn the ashes of our lives into a beauty we would have not thought possible (Isaiah 61:3). I believe these statements are true because they are found in Scripture, but I also believe these are true statements because they have happened to me.

Where I falter, and where my fears and doubts begin to arise, is in trusting that they will happen to me in the future, and prayerfully, in the lives of my loved ones and others I may be praying for. This is the essence of faith, really. A faith in Him that He can and will perform these truths. And is that not one of the major truths of Christianity? That we have a God Who we trust in not only for our salvation but with our lives—past, present and future?

My sweet, precious and loving Savior, as this verse says above, You crown the years with Your goodness, and it is not always easy for me to see Your goodness. I often fear, falter, and doubt that Your Hand is moving in my daily life. These are sins of my heart, and I confess that to You. Please cleanse me and heal me of these sins and then lead me to see things through Your goodness so that I may be thankful to You for all You have done, are doing, and will do.

 “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

—1 Thessalonians 5:18

My Street in Spokane, WA
(December 2010)