+DEV+ Praise the Lord!

Date: January 9, 2011 5:42 PM
Topic: +DEV+ Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord!

"Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD from the heavens...Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens" (Psalm 148:1a, 13).
Scripture Focus: Psalm 148:1-14

In the movie Bruce Almighty, Bruce drives down the road praying for God's direction in life. He ignores a flashing neon sign warning "Caution Ahead" and a truck full of signs warning "Dead End," "Wrong Way" and "Stop!" After ignoring every answer God sent, Bruce crashed.

in my past, I prayed that God would tell me what to do to resolve a problem. Like Bruce, I pleaded with God for direction and initially missed His reply since it wasn't what I wanted.

While studying the Psalms, I continued to read about our need to praise the Lord. Each of the last five chapters tells us that, but it wasn't the instruction I was listening for. I wanted to do something, and then praise God after my action contributed to the solution. He wanted me to praise Him. God doesn't always lead us to do something. Psalms 148-150 may be our flashing neon signs: Praise Him! Praise needn't be reserved for when a problem is solved; it should flow from our hearts continually for the One who has saved us from eternal death.

Insight: Reflect on the ordinary, the joyful, and the difficult circumstances in your life. Praise God for what He has done for you in each one.