The Importance of Being Praiseful! - 2 Chronicles 20

A Victory of Prayer, Praise, and Song: 2 Chronicles 20

By Dennis Edwards

Praise is such an important spiritual discipline. I wanted to read to you a chapter from the Bible which shows you the importance of using praise in your daily life. I’m reading from II Chronicles 20. It says, 

“It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.”[1]

The children of Moab, and the children of Ammon were descendants from Lot the nephew of Abraham. At the time of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah Lot had fled from Sodom with his wife and two unwed daughters with the help of the angels. Lot’s wife looked back and turned into a pilar of salt. Lot and his two daughters fled onward to a small town near the mountains and later escaped to a cave to hide from the great destruction. The destruction was so terrible, the daughters feared that they were the only ones left alive. In their distress they decided to get their father drunk and each took a turn to lay with him, to give them seed. The children of Moab and the children of Ammon are the descendants form the sexual relations Lot had with his two daughters. 

The children of mount Seir are descendants of Ishmael and Esau. Ishmael was the son of Abraham by Hagar, Sarah, Abraham’s wife’s maidservant. Sarah had passed the time of child-bearing so encouraged Abraham to go in unto Hagar and bring forth seed through her. Ishmael was the result of Abraham’s sexual relationship with Hagar. Afterwards, God touched Sarah’s womb and Abraham and Sarah brought forth Isaac, the child of promise. Esau, the first born of Isaac, lost his birth-right and his blessing to Jacob his younger brother. He later married one of Ishmael’s daughters hoping to regain favor with his father. 

Back to II Chronicles: 

“Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There comes a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side of Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi. 

“And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.”[2]

So here we see that there were coming three armies against Judah and Jerusalem, it’s capitol. But the first thing king Jehoshaphat does when he hears about it, is that he proclaims a fast throughout Judah to pray and seek the Lord. Jehoshaphat gets serious with God. He seeks God and makes sure his people do the same. 

“And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord."

We note that the people responded positively. Why was that? It was a result of Jehoshaphat having set out both prophets and priests to teach the word of the Lord to the people previously. The people’s hearts were ready to seek the Lord because they had been partaking of the teaching of the word through God’s prophets and teachers. In 2 Chronicles 17:9 we read,  

“And they (the prophets and priests) taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the Lord with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.”  

Jehoshaphat’s people were ready to seek the Lord because they had been learning from God’s word. 

“And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah, and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 

“And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in Heaven? And rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? And in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? 

“Art not thou our God, who did drive out the inhabitants of the land before thy people Israel, and gave it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? 

“And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, 

“If when evil comes upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.”[3]

At that time God’s Holy Spirit was present in the Temple in Jerusalem. From the time of Moses it had been present in the cloud that led Israel out of Egypt and in the cloud came upon the tabernacle and dwelt therein. Later the Holy Spirit of God’s presence filled the Holy of Holies in the Temple that Solomon built. In 2 Chronicle 6:34-35 we read a part of Solomon’s prayer at the time of the anointing of the Temple.

“If thy people go out to war against their enemies by way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name; then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.”

Jehoshaphat is reminding both the people and the Lord of the prayer of Solomon. Jehoshaphat is claiming God’s word, God’s promises in his word. He’s helping the people to believe and stand on God’s word.

“And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab, (the descendants from Lot) and mount Seir, (the descendants of Ishmael and Esau) whom thou would not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not; 

“Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit. 

“O our God, wilt thou not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that comes against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee. 

“And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.”[4]

We notice here that the whole family was involved in seeking the Lord, in getting desperate with God. It was not just left to the woman, or to the men, but even the “little ones” and the older children participated. 

So then, the spirit of the Lord comes upon Jahaziel, a descendant of Asaph. Asaph was one of the musicians, who like King David, had written some of the famous psalms that we find in the Old Testament. I have found some twelve psalms written by Asaph. We read, 

“Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mataniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation; 

“And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 

“Tomorrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. 

“Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you. 

“And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord. 

“And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high.”[5]

The Kohathites and Korhites were those who worked with the Levites in the service of the Temple and were the singers, or choral or choir for the worship services. 

“And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper. 

“And when they had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for His mercy endures forever.”[6]

In the book of Psalms in the Old Testament we can find at least two songs of worshipped used during the Temple sacrifice and service which repeat the phrase, “His mercy endures forever.” One is the first four verses in Psalm 118. I’ll let you read them here. 

“O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercies endures for ever. Let Israel now say, that His mercy endures for ever. Let the house of Aaron (the priests) now say, that His mercy endures for ever. Let them now that fear the Lord say, that His mercy endures for ever.”[7]

In Psalm 136 the phrase, “His mercy endures for ever,” is repeated twenty-six times. I’ll read you the first four verses of this psalm so you get a feeling of the faith it imparted. 

“O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endures for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods; for His mercy endures for ever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for His mercy endures for ever. To Him that does great wonders: for His mercy endures for ever.”[8]

The rest of the psalm recites the act of Creation, the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt, and the defeat of great Kings whose lands the children of Israel went on to possess. Both these psalms were used regularly in Temple worship and would have been readily available for the singers to sing. The last verse in Psalm 136 concludes with: 

“O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for His mercy endures for ever.”[9]

The singers were going to march ahead of the army, manifesting the people’s faith that God was going to fight for them. This was all done with consultation and prayer and not dictated by the king. This was all done with consultation and prayer and not dictated by the king. It reminds us of Malachi 3:16ª.

“Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it.”

Also, in Proverbs 11:14 we read about taking counsel when going to war.

Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.”

“And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.”[10]

And now God’s word explains what the “ambushments” were. 

“For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.”[11]

So God sent a spirit of division between the different armies. First, the two armies who were more closely related, descendants from Lot, destroyed the army that was descendant from Ishmael and Esau. Mount Seir got destroyed first. Afterwards, the descendants of Lot, Moab and Ammon, fought amongst themselves and destroyed each other. 

“And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped. 

“And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much. 

“And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the Lord: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day. 

“Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies. 

“And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the Lord. 

“And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel. 

“So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about.”[12]

So here we see the importance of using praise to win victories over our enemies. The children of Israel believed that God was with them and therefore they went out in praise. They sent the choir in front of the army to manifest their faith in what the Lord had said to them, that He would fight for them and they would not need to fight. They sang probably from Psalm 118 and Psalm 136 which repeats over and over, “Oh give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endures for ever.”[13]

What was the results? Were they defeated? No, they won the battle without even fighting. 

Maybe you having a battle in your own life and three armies are coming against you. Maybe you’re sick, and you have financial problems, and you have family problems, and it seems that these armies are just destroying your life. Well, what can you do? You can believe the Lord thy God, that’s the first step. Believing in God is going to establish you, it’s going to give your life a good, solid foundation. 

Step two, you are going to believe His prophets, those of His servants who are bringing forth the fruit of God’s goodness in their lives. In this case in our Bible study, the prophets were telling the people, contrary to the seeming impossible circumstances which they faced, that God was with them and would fight for them, if the trusted and obeyed Him. 

Because the people believed, they used the weapon of praise to defeat their enemy, and their biggest enemies were their own fears and doubts about the situation. They started singing and giving thanks which manifested their faith that God was going to do what He had promised He would do. They sent forth the singers in front of the army to demonstrate their confidence in God’s promises. One man’s faith and desperation, that of king Jehoshaphat, had transformed the whole nation to faith and obedience to God. 

So what about you? Will you lift up your voice, no matter how discouraged you may be, no matter how sick you are, no matter how bad you feel the situation is? Have faith in God. He will not fail you. Get desperate in prayer. Call out to God with your family and loved ones. Seek the Lord while He may be found. 

Then, start praising the Lord. Praise your way out of that valley of despair, or that pit of discouragement that you have fallen into. Praise, and praise, and praise and praise again. Fight those demons of gloom, those demons of depression and God will lift you up. God will reach down and lift you up.

God’s word says, “Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.”[14] Humble yourself. Call out to God. Use the weapon of praise. Sing and lift up your voice in thanksgiving and praise. And God promises to lift you up and defeat those armies, those difficulties, those demons of discouragement that are battling you. God’s going to raise you up, just like that popular song says. He will lift you up out of that valley of the shadow of death that you have fallen into and you'll stand on His shoulders.

 Use the weapon of praise. It’s a key weapon. Use it today. Praise is the victory. Sing, shout, praise the Lord. "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord,"[15] which is the very last verse of all the psalms and the summary of all the preceding, for He is the victory. 

You may want to follow “The 30 Day Praise Challenge”[16] by Becky Harling and listen to the songs on YouTube she suggests. Learn to give thanks for twenty minutes a day and listen to the songs Becky suggests[17], or ones similar, until they become part and soul of your very being. Praise will change your life for the better. Try it, you won’t be disappointed.

Originally published September 2, 2018

Footnotes:
[1] II Chronicles 20:1
[2] II Chronicles 20:2-3
[3] II Chronicles 20:4-9
[4] II Chronicles 20:10-13
[5] II Chronicles 20:14-19
[6] II Chronicles 20:20-21
[7] Psalm 118:1-4
[8] Psalm 136:1-4
[9] Psalm 136:26
[10] II Chronicles 20:22
[11] II Chronicles 20:23
[12] II Chronicles 20:24-30
[13] Psalm 136:26
[14] James 4:7
[15] Psalm 150:6
[16] https://www.amazon.com/30-Day-Praise-Challenge-Becky-Harling-ebook/dp/B00C62S52U
[17] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvCDEuANWdI&list=PLXIQnDCwKXFtbmbwcUb8V8R-uGms34ovY

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You Have Turned My Mourning into Dancing! – Psalm 30

 

Dennis Edwards

Psalm 30:1 “I will extol Thee, O Lord; for You have lifted me up, and have not made my foes to rejoice over me.”

David is giving God thanks that his enemies, including his father-in-law, the former King who sought to slay him, have not been victorious over him.

Psalm 30:2-3 “O Lord my God, I cried unto You, and You have healed me. O Lord, You have brought up my soul from the grave: You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.”

David is thanking the Lord that he is alive. The Lord answered him when he cried and healed him from his depression or from his sickness, in so much, that he did not die. He is thankful.

Psalm 30:4 “Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.”

A common thread throughout the psalms is thanksgiving and praise to God for His goodness unto the children of men. It is good for us to give thanks and praise unto the Lord. The last verse in the last psalm gives the main messages of the Psalms.

Psalm 150:6 “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD:”

Or like we know it in the New Testament,

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Psalm 30:5 “For His anger endures but a moment; in His favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”

The Old Testament tells us that God is slow to anger and merciful. When God appeared before Moses the Lord proclaimed to him,

Exodus 34:6b-7a “(I) The Lord, The Lord God (am) merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.”

The same idea is paraphrased in the psalms.

Psalm 134:8-9 “The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are great over all His works.”

Some 44 times in the Psalms is repeated the phrase, “His mercy endures for ever.”

Psalm 118: 1-4 & 29 “O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: because His mercy endures for ever. Let Israel now say, that His mercy endures for ever. Let the house of Aaron now say, that His mercy endures for ever. Let them now that fear the LORD say, that His mercy endures for ever…O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endures for ever.”

Psalm 136:1 “O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endures for ever.”

Psalm 136 has 26 lines and each line ends with “for His mercy endures for ever.”

Contrary to the idea that the God of the Old Testament is a monster, God proclaims that He is good and merciful and slow to anger. When He does get angry at us for our rebellion or sin, it lasts but for a moment. We may end up with a serious problem because of our sin, our health may be damaged, or a relationship may be broken, but as we cry out to God with our tears, His compassion fails not. We are once more brought back into harmony with Him and our problem is resolved whatever it may have been. Joy comes flooding back into our lives.

The prophet Jeremiah confirms what we have been saying.

Lamentations 3:22-23 "It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, Because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: Great is thy faithfulness."

Psalm 30:6 “In my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.”

God warned the children of Israel, and He warns us to beware of prosperity.

Deuteronomy 9:11,12,14,17,18,19 “Beware that you forget not the Lord your God, in not keeping His commandments, and His judgments, and His statutes,…Lest when you have eaten and are full,…Then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God,… And you say in your heart, My power and the might of mine (own) hand has gotten me this wealth. But you shall remember the Lord your God: for it is He that gives you power to get wealth…And it shall be, if you do at all forget the Lord your God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish.”

Psalm 62:10b “If riches increase, set not your heart upon them.”

Apostle Paul, admonished us, also.

1 Timothy 6:6-10 “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

In our prosperity we have the tendency to forget God. David is confessing that he, too, forgot God in His prosperity He sinned grievously in the incident with Bathsheba. God’s anger was upon him for a moment. David confessed and truly repented and found forgiveness in God’s mercy.

Psalm 30:7 “Lord, by Your favour You have made my mountain to stand strong: You did hide Your face, and I was troubled.”  

It is only God’s mercy that we are able to stand. If we were rightly judged for our sins, no one would stand. When our relationship with God becomes cloudy through neglect or sin, we sense his lack and anxiety comes in and we are troubled.

Psalm 30:8 “I cried to thee, O Lord; and unto the Lord I made supplication.”

When we are troubled, when that cloud over shadows us, we cry unto the Lord once again. Apostle Paul gives the same solution to our moments of anxiety.  He tells us, if we cry unto the Lord in prayer and in supplication with thanksgiving, God will hear our prayer and send peace of heart and mind unto our souls.

Philippians 4:6-7 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Psalm 30:9 “What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? Shall it declare Your truth?”

David questions whether in death we will be able to praise the Lord and speak of his truth.

Psalm 30:10 “Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be my helper.”

Again, he calls upon the Lord for mercy. He calls upon God to help him.

Psalm 30:11-12 You have turned my mourning into dancing: You have put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness. To the end that my glory may sing praise to You, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto You for ever.”

When God’s joy is taken from us, we are weak, downcast, and discouraged. After we spend time pleading with God, pouring out our heart and soul in prayer, seeking His face; God answers and renews or restores our joy. It is the joy of the Lord that is our strength. Once again, we are able to sing and to praise and to give thanks. We enter into His presence with praise, and with thanksgiving, and we cannot be silent for His mercy endures for ever.

If you’re downcast, don’t stay there, fight for joy. The joy of the Lord, His happiness, your praise to Him, your thankfulness to Him, will give you the strength to carry on. Don’t mettle in discouragement, for the devil is as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He devours and smothers our joy in sadness, despondency, and depression. Don’t go there. Fight for joy, it’s your lifeline. It’s God’s strength in you and a gift of the Holy Spirit. Fight for happiness. In everything give thanks. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord, who is the author and finisher of our faith.

Praise ye the Lord, ye children of men, for God is worthy of our praise. He will bless us and help chase the clouds away, as we praise and give thanks to Him for whatever He allows in our lives. We know all things will work together for good, if we continue to love God and are thankful. A merry heart is as good as a medicine, so be happy! It’s part of our spiritual armour. Use it. Amen!

Originally published 06-08-2024.

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The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength!

 

Dennis Edwards

“The joy of the Lord is your strength, Dennis. You’ve got to fight for joy.” So said my friend who asked me to call her when she noticed how down and discouraged I was after the death of my 45 year old son. I was suffering condemnation. I was under a cloud of darkness; a despondent depression was starting to grip me. I knew I shouldn’t feel condemned for my son’s death. Yet, I also knew his death might have been avoided had I been more a tune to his psychological condition. I never thought he would commit suicide. But he did, and it rocked the world of my family.

The attacks on me were constant and unrelenting from both flesh and spirit. It was your fault, the fault of the religious community you had been involved in, the fault of your poor parenting. You tried to save the world and weren’t even attentive to the condition of your own son. What kind of father are you? What kind of a Christian are you? Where are your priorities? It’s finally time to wake up and forsake that religious nonsense.

I knew those accusations weren’t true completely. But even lies have some truth to them or they would not be so easily believed. I knew I had missed the mark. I knew I hadn’t made that phone call that might have made a difference in my son’s final decision. I myself had avoided suicide because, as I prepared to drive my car off the bridge into the river below, I saw the face of my favourite aunt, Aunt Ida. She loved me. Therefore, if love existed, and I had felt it in Ida’s arms that summer as a confused disheartened 20 years old; if love existed, life must have purpose. I decided to continue my search for truth. If love existed, there must be something more. Ending my life by my own hand to stop the suffering I was experiencing at that time was not the solution. Ida’s holding me in her arms, reminded me that love was real. Had I called Mike, maybe he would have not made that decision.

Those were the thoughts running through my head constantly. Why, God, why? Why Mike? He said he was searching for You and reaching out to You. Why didn’t You keep him, Lord? How could You let this happen? Why didn’t You let me know he was at that state? Lord, a second, son, lost. What have I done wrong? Why have I failed so miserably?

That was the state I was in when my friend asked me to call her. So, I called. “Dennis, it’s not your fault. It’s the enemy who is trying to condemn you and cause you to be discouraged. But you need to fight for your faith. You need to fight for joy, because the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

When she said that about “joy,” it rang with my soul. It was like God was talking to me. I needed to fight for my faith by fighting for joy, because the joy of the Lord is what strengthen us. Without His joy I would be weakened and fall by the wayside of faith, like I had seen happen to so many others. When hard situations arose, they had lost their faith. They weren’t able to say with Job, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.” I decided to fight for joy. Instead of walking around in discouragement, I would praise the Lord in spite of my not feeling happy. I would trust and praise the Lord.

What would others think if they saw me happy? Hadn’t my son died? Shouldn’t I be in mourning? Wouldn’t it be offensive to my family and disrespectful to my son that died if I walked around happy? I decided it didn’t matter what they thought. The enemy was fighting my faith and trying to extinguish it. I would fight back with praise and regain the joy of the Lord. I would not be passive.

Thirteen years before I had benefitted from doing Becky Harling’s 30 Days of Praise Challenge. Martin, my 27 years old son had died in a strange accident in the Bermudas where he had gone to work. It was Saint Patrick’s Day. He had celebrated with a few beers with his friends that led to some joints of hashish. For some reason he went down to the dock and jumped in the water. He left his clothes on the beach. The police asked me if it could be suicide. I didn’t think so. He had been preparing for a triathlon athletic event of running – biking – swimming. Maybe he went for a practice. Could it have been suicide?

At that point, once I got back to Europe, I came across Becky Harling’s 30 Day Praise Challenge. She had been diagnosed with cancer of the breasts. She called her friend and mentor asking her if she would do a 30 fast and prayer vigil with her for healing. Her mentor and friend responded, “Why don’t we do a 30-Day Praise Prayer Vigil together instead?” “I’ve just been notified that I have cancer and you want me to praise God for 30 days. I don’t feel like praising right now.” Her mentor responded, “But it might be the very thing God wants you to do. He says, “In everything give thanks.” Becky told her friend she would think about it and within a few days they were off on the 30-Day Praise Challenge together.

Becky has since written a book about the experience and made it into a 30-Day devotional program to follow. A 30-Day Praise Challenge. I had done the challenge when my son Martin had died those 13 years ago. A friend had put the 66 songs she had recommended on my new phone so that I was able to listen to it throughout the day and have those lovely praise song running through my mind. They did wonders to me, even more than the devotional readings and suggested prayers. By listening to the praise music, I fought through the discouragement I was feeling as a failure father. The songs of praise transformed my life and helped me to be more praiseful and thankful. I consider obeying the command “In everything give thanks” to be one of the keys to my being able to walk in victory today. I am thankful for my friend who bought an extra chip for my phone, downloaded the songs onto it, and placed it in it for me. Becky was thankful for her friend, also, and to Jesus who healed her supernaturally through praise.

God has done it again. I have redone the 30-Day Praise Challenge. I shared the individual devotional readings and suggested prayers and the 2/3 songs a day on a WhatsApp group that I participate in. During that month of redoing the Praise Challenge, and posting the songs on my blogspot, I had some 24,000 visits. I usually have around 3-5,000 visits a month. There seems to be a vacuum for praise, or a need to hear those types of songs. “Let everything that has breathe praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.” [Psalm 150:6] I have also made a good friend of a woman who lost her two daughters in a car crash many years ago. God does work everything together for good, if we trust Him and are able to praise Him in spite of the seeming difficult situation.

The joy of the Lord is indeed our strength. God commands us not to be dismayed or discouraged. The enemy is in the business of discouraging us. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Joy is God’s presence with us. His presence, His joy, gives us strength to face life’s difficulties with courage and resilience. We can bounce back from devastating events because we are trusting in Him. We are believing that He ultimately has everything in control and therefore we can in everything give thanks. By giving thanks, we enter into the joy of the Lord and are strengthened spiritually, physically, emotionally, psychologically. “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” [Nehemiah 10:8b]

Here are some more Bible verses to reflect on the importance of joy, praise, and thanksgiving.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” NIV

Psalm 103:1-4 “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the LORD. My soul, and forget not all His benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.” NIV

Colossians 2:6.7 “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving,” NKJV

Isaiah 12:4-5 “And on that day you will say, “Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the people: make them remember that His name is exalted. “Praise the Lord in song, for He has done glorious things; let this be known throughout the earth.” NASB

1 Chronicles 16:34 “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!” ESV

Hebrews 12:28 “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire.’”

Psalm 95:1-4 “Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the LORD is the great God, and the great King above all gods.” NKJV

Philippians 4:4-7 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” NIV

Psalm 118:24 “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” ESV

Colossians 3:15-17 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” NIV

Ephesians 5:18-20 “Be not drunk with wine, but be filled with Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our God and Father. NASB

Hebrews 13:15 “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” KJV

Psalm 5:11 NKJV “But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You. Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You.” NKJV.

Psalm 32:11 “Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.” NKJV

James 1:2-3 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” NIV

Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” NIV

Zephaniah 3:17 “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” KJV

John 15:11 & 16:24 “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, so that your joy may be full.” NKJV

Romans 12:12 “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” NIV

Habakkuk 3:17-18 “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” KJV

Proverb 15:23 & 17:22 “A man has joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it.” “A merry heart does good like a medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones.” KJV

Isaiah 61:10 “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my souls shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” KJV

1 Peter 1:8-9 “Whom having not seen, ye love, in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” KJV

Psalm 9:2 “I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.” KJV

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” KJV

Psalm 16:11 “Thou will show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” KJV

Psalm 144:14b-15 “…that there be no complaining in our streets. Happy is that people, that is in such a case; yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.” KJV

Psalm 145:2 “Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.” KJV

Psalm 146:1-2 “Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.” KJV

Psalm 147:1 “Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely (appropriate).” KJV

Psalm 149:5-6 “Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword [Hebrews 4:12] in their hand.” KJV

Psalm 30:4-5,11-12 “Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. For his anger endures but for a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Thou has turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou has put off sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; to the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever. KJV

Originally published April 2023. 

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Psalm 100 - Make a Joyful Noise unto the Lord!

 

Dennis Edwards

If there is any psalm in the Book of Psalms that tells us how to enter into God’s presence, it is Psalm 100. It is truly one of the most concise yet enlightening or informative psalms of PRAISE or of THANKSGIVING in the Bible. Let’s go through it line by line.

Psalm 100:1 “Make a JOYFUL noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.”

God wants us to be HAPPY in Him. He says “the JOY of the Lord is your strength,” Nehemiah 8:10b. Elsewhere in the psalms we read, “That there be no complaining in our streets. HAPPY is that people, that is in such a case: (in other words, HAPPY are the people who aren’t complaining), HAPPY is that people whose God is the Lord,” Psalm 144:14b-15.

When I was discouraged through the death of my forty-five-year-old son, a friend of mine called me on the phone. She told me that she noticed that I wasn’t HAPPY. She said that though I was talking victory, and how everything would work together for good, it seemed as if I was under a cloud of discouragement. She told me that I needed to fight to regain the JOY of the Lord. I needed to fight for JOY, because the enemy was trying to defeat me. When she said that, it seemed like the light went on in my head and the Holy Spirit was speaking through her. From that point on, I made fighting for JOY my goal. Suddenly, I couldn’t read the Bible without coming across the many verses that talk about JOY, HAPPINESS, GLADNESS, PRAISE and THANKSGIVING.

After David had committed adultery and murder in the case of Uriah the Hittite, and was exposed for he deeds by the Prophet Nathan, David prayed, “Make me to hear JOY and GLADNESS; that the bones which You have broken may REJOICE….Restore unto me the JOY of Your salvation,” Psalm 51:8 & 12a.

David’s spirit had fallen into darkness through his sin. Unconfessed sin separates us from God. On being found out, though he was physically, and mentally broken and emotionally discouraged with his failings, he asked God to “renew a right spirit” within him. He asked God to bring HAPPINESS and JOY back into his life. He had first experienced that JOY in his relationship with God through the Holy Spirit on being anointed by Samuel to be the new king of Israel. Samuel’s anointing of the young David with oil was symbolic of the Holy Spirit coming upon him. In 1^st Samuel we read, “and the spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward,” 1 Samuel 16:13b.

One of the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit, and the second mentioned by Apostle Paul in his list of nine characteristics, is “JOY.” “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law,” Galatians 5:22-23.

Rather than murmuring and complaining, God wants us to be JOYFUL, HAPPY, and THANKFUL.

Apostle Paul warns us against murmuring when he says, “Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come,” 1 Corinthians 10:10-11.

Apostle Paul was talking about the children of Israel who had come out of Egypt and had complained at every stage of their journey, and who were finally destroyed because of their complaining. In Romans, he gives a classic example of what happens to a believer who does not maintain a THANKFUL and JOYFUL heart.

Romans 1:20 “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were they THANKFUL: but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

In Ephesians, we see something similar. “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, (no murmuring and complaining), but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you were sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you,” Ephesians 4:29-32.

If we turn away from THANKFULNESS and JOY, we can easily fall into murmuring and complaining. Like Nick Vujicic said, “You’re either going to be a THANKFUL person or a bitter person, one or the other. I’ve never met a THANKFUL person who was bitter, or a bitter person who was THANKFUL.” Let us strive therefore to be THANKFUL.

Apostle Paul wrote elsewhere, “In everything give THANKS, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you,” 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

Apostle James warns us. “But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace,” James 3:14-18.

Then in Hebrews we see, “Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed,” Hebrews 12:12-13.

The author of Hebrews is reminding us that when we go through a period of chastisement or what seems like correction from the Lord, we should not let discouragement defeat us. We need to fight discouragement, straighten up our posture, lift up our hands in PRAISE to God, and get back into following Jesus once again. PRAISE and THANKSGIVING bring victory and defeat discouragement. That is why we need to make a JOYFUL noise unto the Lord.

Psalm 100:2 “Serve the Lord with GLADNESS: enter into His presence with SINGING.”

In Psalm 22:3, it says that God, “inhabits the PRAISES of Israel.” In Hebrews 13:15, we read, “therefore let us offer the sacrifice of PRAISE to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving THANKS to His name.” In Psalm 32:11, the psalm finishes, “Be GLAD in the Lord, and REJOICE ye righteous: and shout for JOY, all you that are upright in heart.”

There is something powerful about giving PRAISE and THANKSGIVING to God. The Holy Spirit dwells in our songs and words of THANKSGIVING and PRAISE. Apostle Paul admonishes to, “REJOICE in the Lord, and again I say, REJOICE,” Philippians 4:4. He goes further and teaches us how to offer our prayers to the Lord.

Philippians 4:6-8 “Be careful (or anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with THANKSGIVING let your request be known unto God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding, shall fill your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 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.”

Apostle Paul is reminding us to bring our supplications to God in the spirit of THANKSGIVING, similar to what we see a bit further down in Psalm 100.

Psalm 100:3-4 “Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that has made us and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with THANKSGIVING, and into His courts with PRAISE; be THANKFUL unto Him and bless (or PRAISE) His name.”

The proverbs tell us that the beginning of knowledge or of the understanding of life is, “the fear of the Lord,” Proverbs 1:7. By starting with God as our initial assumption in all our thinking and being, we are starting with a “fear of the Lord.” God is the prerequisite necessary to understand life. It is not, “I think, therefore, I am,” but rather, “God thinks. He is the great I am. Therefore, I am able to think, having been created in His image.” That is why Saint Augustine said, “Seek not to understand that you might believe, but rather, seek to believe that you might understand.” It’s belief in the invisible God known through Creation, and the revelation of Himself in Scripture, and through life experiences, that gives us understanding.

It is through our THANKSGIVING and PRAISE and humility of heart that we enter into His presence.

James 4:6b & 10 “God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble….Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.”

Psalm 100:5 “For the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endures to all generations.”

God’s truth is not beyond our grasp. It endures to all generations. It is up to each of us to seek it out. Jesus said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you,” Matthew 7:7.

In the Old Testament, we read, “And you shall seek Me, and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart,” Jeremiah 29:13. In Deuteronomy 30:11-14 we find, “For this commandment which I command you this day, it is not hidden from you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?’ But the word is very nigh unto you, in your mouth, and in your heart, that you may do it.”

God has put a moral guide, our conscience, within each human being, the “Light, which lightens every man that comes into the world,” John 1:9b. He has revealed Himself in His creation, if we look for Him with an open heart. Apostle Paul has warned, “For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things which are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,” Romans 1:20.

King David, likewise wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day (they) utter speech, and night unto night (they) show knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard….and their words to the end of the world,” Psalm 19:1-4b.

God’s truth is out there. We just have to be open and look for it and we will find it. His truth endures to all generations. We all are without excuse. Like Pascal has written, “God has willed to make Himself quite recognisable to those who sincerely seek Him, and thus, willing to appear quite openly to those who seek Him with all their heart, and to be hidden from those who flee from Him with all their heart, He so regulates the knowledge of Himself that He has given signs of Himself, visible to those that seek Him, and not to those who seek Him not. There is enough light for those who only desire to see, and enough obscurity for those who have a contrary disposition.” Pensées by Blaise Pascal under “Morality and Doctrine.”

Originally published September 18, 2025

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Praise and Thankfulness are Attributes of a Christian’s Life

Dennis Edwards

One of the most important attributes of a Christian character is that of thankfulness. God’s word admonishes us to have a thankful and grateful heart. God expects and wants us to be thankful. The Psalms are full of commands of thankfulness. In Psalm 100:4 we read,

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: Be thankful and bless His name.”

Why should we be thankful? The next verse Psalm 100:5 gives the answer.

“For the Lord is good; and His mercy is everlasting and His truth endures to all generations.”

We see that familiar theme in the Scriptures. We should be thankful because God is merciful and loving. We should be thankful because God’s truth is available to all generations.

In Proverbs 3:3-4 we read, “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about your neck; write them upon the table of your heart: So shall thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.” As Christians we should be merciful and truthful. If we are, God will bless us because those are His attributes. Proverb 16:6a says, “By mercy and truth iniquity is purged.” It seems mercy or love and truth are what help us overcome sin.”

Where else do we find the imagery of mercy and truth? None other than the figure of the Nazarene. In the Gospel of John 1:17 we read, “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”

What is grace but God’s mercy and love. The law condemns us because none of us are able to fulfill its commandments. But we can overcome our sinful nature by accepting God’s grace, His mercy, His love and His truth found in Jesus Christ. When we find salvation in Jesus we should overflow with thankfulness.

“For the Lord is good; and His mercy is everlasting and His truth endures to all generations.” His mercy and truth is none other than Jesus Christ. God is love and God is truth. Truth and love are the pillars of our Christian faith. Because we have found God’s truth and mercy and love in Jesus, we should be thankful. We should be overflowing with praise and thanksgiving.

“For the Lord is good; and His mercy is everlasting,” in other words, we can always find forgiveness in His arms if we confess our faults or sins; and turn from them and towards God. “His truth endures to all generations.” God’s truth is available to all that seek for it with all their heart. If we seek for Him with all our heart, we will find Him.

God wants us and expects us to be thankful. He offers us His mercy and truth in Jesus. By accepting Jesus into our hearts we have overcome the wicked one, we have overcome death, and overcome sin’s control over our lives. We have eternal life, therefore, we should offer unto God thanksgiving. In Psalm 95:2 we read, “Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving.” In Psalm 50:14a we are advised to, “Offer unto God thanksgiving.”

In the New Testament we find the same admonitions. In his letter to the Ephesians 5:18-21, Apostle Paul writes, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess,” in other words, we should not end up drinking too much and relying on drink to make us happy, instead of relying on God’s Holy Spirit. In a sense we are worshipping the wine rather than God if we do. Paul continues, “but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We should be giving thanks always unto God and be filled with song and praise. If we are full of thanksgiving and praise it is a lot easier to fulfill the last section of Paul’s thought where he writes, “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” He then reminds the wives to submit to their husbands and the husbands to love their wives, as if they needed to be reminded.

In Paul’s letter to the Colossians 3:14-19 we see the same message. “And above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” Paul tells us to be thankful. He continues, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.” We should be continually thankful.

In 1st Thessalonians 5:18 we see the same theme again. Paul says, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Are we as thankful as we should be? Are we daily entering into God’s presence with thanksgiving and praise?

Throughout the New Testament we are reminded that we should be content. In Philippians 4:11 we read, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have leaned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” In Paul's 1st letter to Timothy 6:6-8 he writes, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.”

The Old Testament is not void of the same instruction. Proverbs 15:16-17 tell us, “Better is little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure and trouble therewith. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.” In the book of Job 1:21-22, after Job has lost everything, he refuses to curse God, but instead says, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.” In other words, Job was trusting God and trying to walk in thankfulness in spite of his troubles.

God doesn’t want us to take our blessings for granted. In Psalm 68:19 we read, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.” In Psalm 103:2-5 we see, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies; who satisfies your mouth with good things; so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

Even Jesus expected those that were healed to show thankfulness to God. In Luke 17:12-18 we read, “And as He entered into a certain village, there met Him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: and they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when He saw them, He said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory (or thanksgiving) to God, save this stranger.”

We should always remember to thank God for our blessings. When David was delivered from the hand of Saul and the hand of all his enemies he gave thanks unto the Lord. 2 Samuel 22:50 we read, “Therefore I will give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto Your name.” In 1 Chronicles 16:8-10 David prays, “Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the people. Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto Him, talk of all His wondrous works. Glory ye in His holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.” In Psalm 136:1 we read again, “O give thanks unto to the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endures forever.” In Psalm 107:21-22 we see, “Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing.”

In Psalm 22:3 we learn that God inhabits the praises of His people. In other words, God dwells with us when we are walking in praise and thanksgiving. In Psalm 67:1-7 we are encouraged to praise the Lord for the Lord will bless us for our praise. “God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause His face to shine upon us; that Your way may be known upon the earth, Your saving health among all nations. Let the people praise Thee, O God; let all the people praise Thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for You shall judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon the earth. Let the people praise Thee, O God; let all the people praise Thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.”

In Psalm 150:6, the last verse in all the psalms, Lord says, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” In Hebrews 13:15 we read, “Offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.” Apostle Peter likewise reminds us in 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvellous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”

Let us finish up with Psalm 34:1-4: “I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name forever. I sought the Lord and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Do you want the Lord to hear you and deliver you from your fears? Then bless Him at all times and continually have praise on your lips. Having a thankful and praiseful attitude will let God’s presence dwell with you and assure His blessing upon your life. “In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you!” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

When thanksgiving and praise dominate our lives we are more likely to be able to commit our lives completely to the Lord. The Bible tells us that everything that happens to us in our lives can work together for good if we continue to trust and love God in spite of what has happened. If our lives are full of thanksgiving and praise, Romans 8:28 can become a reality. Thanksgiving and praise show our love and trust in the Lord and are keys to a strong relationship with the Lord and a happy life. Let us rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice! Philippians 4:4

Originally published December 13, 2022

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