We are Called to Praise for a Cause

“¹Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones; praise from the upright is beautiful. ²Praise the Lord with the lyre; make music to him with a ten-stringed harp. ³Sing a new song to him; play skillfully on the strings, with a joyful shout.” — Psalm 33:1-3 (CSB)

This morning as I read in my ESV Bible, as is the case often, I was questioning the message. I then went to my CSB Bible to get a different view of the passage and it all seemed to make more sense.

I am called to praise the LORD. Notice in the verses above that there is a direct call to God’s people to praise Him, “you righteous ones; praise from the upright”. I am directly called out to bring praise to God. I am spoken to here and have a responsibility to heed the message. And that message carries into the next few verses as to the cause for praise.

“⁴For the word of the Lord is right, and all his work is trustworthy. ⁵He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the Lord’s unfailing love.” — Psalm 33:4-5 (CSB)

I am to bring praise to the LORD because His word is “right” and “trustworthy” and as a recognition of His “unfailing love”. I am not just heaping praise for the sake of praise, it is to and for the deserving LORD and all that He has done and will do for me. In fact, in the margin of my ESV Bible I have written these words, “Thanksgiving for all that the LORD has done and will do for us. Make this your song to Him.”

I am but a servant of God in all that I do. I am here to do His work in this world. I am also called to praise the LORD for being here and doing for me. It is known that I am not worthy of the love that God gives for me based on the sins I have committed and those that I am yet to commit. But God loves me none the less and wants nothing but the best for me. I have an obligation to praise Him and bring Him glory. I should be making sure to heap praise on Him at every chance I can to show Him in return, the love that He provides for me. I am called to praise and the Cause is Him.

What or who are you give praise? Are you delivering praise at all and is that praise for a cause? What if you were to act on the call to praise and deliver that praise for the cause that is the LORD?