May they erupt with praise and give thanks to the Eternal Lord
in honor of His loyal love
And all the wonders He has performed for humankind!
He has quenched their thirst,
and He has satisfied their hunger with what is good.
Psalms 107:8-9 The Voice
“If we complained less and praised more,
we would be happier
and God would be more glorified.”
Charles Spurgeon
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Do we erupt with praise? When we escape from difficult situations, trials, and troubles it is easy to praise God for His grace and mercy and proclaim His goodness. We are aware of His deliverance. Yet as time goes on, and the memory fades, do we continue to praise God for the common, everyday mercies? Do we even recognize them? Are we aware of His hand upon us?
Hebrews 13:15 (AMP) says:
…therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise,
which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.
We should constantly and continually be offering up praise. Why?
Ephesians 1:6 (The Voice)
Ultimately God is the one worthy of praise for showing us His grace;
He is merciful and marvelous, freely giving us these gifts in His Beloved.
Psalm 103:2 (Amplified)
Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not [one of] all His benefits.
What would happen if we praised God when irritations arose—when we are exasperated, and down to our “very last nerve”—instead of complaining and bemoaning our fate? Oh, I am not saying there isn’t a valid reason for complaint. But imagine the difference if we brushed that irritation away using praise as our flyswatter, lifting our hearts up in praise of Him. Praise that He is in control, that He loves us. Praise that He has provided everything we need. Praise calms us. Praise quiets us. Praise feeds our soul. Not only would irritation and exasperation vanish, but our souls…our spirits would be filled. We would be refreshed. Like a tall glass of ice water physically refreshes us, praise spiritually refreshes us as we are reminded of His mercy and grace.
Cynda, thank you for the timely reminder for me to praise instead of complain. When life gets overwhelming I tend to get grumpy. However, when i remember to praise God, as you say, I am spiritually refreshed, and that refreshes me in my body and soul also. Praising God to start out my day right!
I get grumpy too Clella. That’s why this spoke to me so. Praise always makes things better 🙂
I like how David talked to his soul! I need to do that more often.
Yes, speaking good things to our soul is important & praise is a great way to do that 🙂
cynda, i love where you wrote, “But imagine the difference if we brushed that irritation away using praise as our flyswatter, lifting our hearts up in praise of Him.” great mind picture! thank you. <3
Thanks Coleen! Mind pictures help me remember important things 🙂