December 22

Praising The Lord

Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and lovely to praise Him! — Ps 147:1 BSB

It is fitting and beautiful for us to blend praise with prayer.

There is a distinction between praise and thanksgiving. We thank God for what He has done for us; we praise Him for who He is in Himself. In praise, we draw nearest to the worship of Heaven, where angels and the redeemed exercise the highest expression of their faculties by ascribing praise, honor, and glory to God. In my private devotions, I find nothing more helpful than reciting the Te Deum before asking for any gift from God. It seems to place God in His rightful position, bringing the soul into an attitude of adoration and praise. “It is good to sing praises, and praise is comely.”

Let us praise Him for His condescending love (Psalm 147:1-6). He counts the number of the stars as a shepherd counts his sheep. The Psalmist likens the constellations to a flock that God is leading through space. What a magnificent thought, that the One who commands the stars also bends low to care for the outcast, the broken-hearted, and the weak. No one is too insignificant for His notice. Just as a mother is especially mindful of her weakest or ailing child, so God’s tenderest care is shown toward His neediest and most helpless children. He always seeks the lost sheep and the prodigal child.

Let us praise God’s providence in creation. Notice how the Psalmist uses present tenses in this psalm. He sees God’s continual activity in nature, reminding us of Jesus' words that not even a sparrow falls to the ground without the Father’s notice. The pure in heart, the meek, and the childlike see God’s hand in everything. God is, and He is always at work; there is no moment or place where He is not active. “Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (Hebrews 13:15).

Prayer

We ask You to give us a true sense of all Your mercies, so that our hearts may be sincerely thankful, and that we show Your praise not only with our words, but in our lives—by giving ourselves to Your service and walking before You in holiness and righteousness all our days. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.