Time To Praise

When was the last time you really “lifted the roof” with praise and appreciation for Who God is and what He has done?  The psalmist gives the format of worship . . . “Clap your hands . . . and shout to God with loud songs of joy.”

This was some kicked up, let’s get it done, make sure God can hear you kind of worship.  It’s the kind of worship where God gets all the glory and we give it all up.  We lift our praise and God likes to hear it.

The psalmist gives some insightful direction of positioning our praise . . .

Praise Him For His Power.  The power of God spoke the worlds into existence, delivered a man and his family from catastrophic floods, parted the Red Sea, delivered a great nation and brought life to a Risen Savior.  The psalmist writes, “For the Lord Most High excites terror, awe, and dread; He is a great King over all the earth.” (Psalm 47:2). To those who receive Him, His power is an inspiration.  To those who reject Him, it is intimidation.  Paul wrote, “that I may know him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in his death.”  (Phil 3:10). His power requires our praise.

Praise Him For His Protection.  The passion from the heart of God secures our protection by the hand of God.  The psalmist reminds us, “He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet.” (Psalm 47:3)  We can never be seperated from His love.  Paul gives the Christ followers in Rome a confident assurance of His conquering affection, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:37-39)

Praise Him For His Promise.  He is our Healer and our Hope.  The psalmist continues his postioning of praise, “He chose our inheritance for us, the glory and pride of Jacob, whom He loves.”  (Psalm 47:4)  He gives an inheritance that has healed our deep poverty and given us a hope of divine promise.  Peter writes, “. . . an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you ” (1 Pet 1:4)

The Message gives us insight into the prophet Isaiah’s thoughts, “Sing praise songs to God. He’s done it all! Let the whole earth know what he’s done! Raise the roof! Sing your hearts out, O Zion! The Greatest lives among you: The Holy of Israel.” (Isaiah 12:5-6)

Let’s raise the roof for our Redeemer, the Righteous One and our Returning King.