I believe that most of us have had that one person that we have hailed as the greatest. Whether in sports, business, philanthropic events, religion, or any other instance that we can think. There is always that one that provides greater than others. Where they are great and have done great things, they are not eternal.

“³Put not your trust in princes,

in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.

⁴When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;

on that very day his plans perish.” — Psalm 146:3-4 (ESV)

These greater than life entities are really just here today and gone tomorrow. Think of the greatest of them. When they are brought up in conversation, it is always about what they have already done. These facts are not to be forgotten, however they are also not serving the now. There will always be some other entity that takes over in the now.

Not the case with God. He was, is, and always will be. I will have Him and all that He does for the entirety of my life. And then even when I am gone, He will still be there for others to speak of all that He has, is, and will do.

“¹Praise the LORD!

Praise the LORD, O my soul!

²I will praise the LORD as long as I live;

I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.” — Psalm 146:1-2 (ESV)

I have to remember that we all, in this world, are only here for a little while. Where what we do may be perceived as great, and even in the moment may actually be great, that moment will pass and then all will be forgotten. God will always be, from yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He has done great things and will do great things, and will be for all to experience and lean on for those great things. Praise the LORD for all eternity for He was great yesterday, is great today, and will be great tomorrow!

“¹⁰The LORD will reign forever,

your God, O Zion, to all generations.

Praise the LORD!” — Psalm 146:10 (ESV)

What things have you seen that God and others have done that are great? Are others that have done great going to be there for the entirety of your life? What if you praised God for being there and providing, yesterday, today, and tomorrow for not only you, but for all and all to come?

“21My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,

and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.” — Psalm 145:21 (ESV)

And there it is. I have to remember to praise God, not only audibly, but with all of me. I believe that too often I think of praising God as an expression that can be heard to gather the attention of Him and those that are around. The reality is that God knows my heart and not everyone is able to hear. I have to be all in with my praise.

It is easy to say the words of praise to/for God. Anyone can do it and where I want to believe that everyone is sincere, the reality is that there are those in the world that are simply doing things for the optics of it and when the cameras are off, there is an entirely different side of them.

I am not hear to call out anyone for their actions other than myself. I sometimes find myself going through the motions because that is what is supposed to be done and seen. I have to abandon that “faking it” attitude. I have to be all in with my praise for the LORD. Not everything turns out the way I want it, but that does not mean that there is not praise to be had. I recently was overlooked for an opportunity and where it did sting not being chosen, I have to praise God for what He does have in store for me.

God is good and worthy of my praise. I may not understand all that is going on, but I can and will be praising God, knowing that He is running the show and there is a reason for whatever there is that has happened. I have to remember that what I know is not all there is to know and that God will give me just what I NEED to make it through and for that I will praise Him. I will praise Him with my voice. I will praise Him with my flesh so that all can see that regardless of the circumstances, I am giving all of me to Him for what He has and will do.

What things are going on in your life that you may not be praising for? Are you finding yourself just going through the motions of praise for others to see? What if you were to go all in on God and praise Him with all of you for that which has happened or will happen, knowing that He controls it all and has an ultimate plan for you?

God loves all of me. Yes, even the parts that I may not be fond of in myself. The birthmark on my leg, the smile on my face, the gray hair at 40 yrs old, my chewed fingers, my love of sports, and all else that makes up me. God loves it all.

“¹³For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.

¹⁶Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there was none of them.” — Psalm 139:13 & 16 (ESV)

In fact, as noted in the above verses, He formed me into what I am from the very beginning. God made me who I am today. And for that I am to be thankful. I have to give credit where credit is due and embrace all of me for that reason.

“¹⁴I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.” — Psalm 139:14 (ESV)

I am who I am thanks to God and I praise Him for it. I was made for a purpose. I am filling place in God’s plan. I am the peg that fits in the hole. I am the missing puzzle piece. I am wonderfully formed to do the work of God in what He has for me in His plan. I praise God for making me, all of me.

There are times when I look at and compare myself to others. Why was I “not” made like them? Why was I “not” given that? Why was I “not” blessed with…? What a defeated attitude. What I should be doing is embracing all that I am and using what God gave me to do His work. I have to review passages like here in Psalm 139 and remember that I was wonderfully made and that I may not be like others, but I was made by God for God and I have a purpose to do His will and plug the hole I was made for. I was made like me. I was given what I was given. I was blessed with what I was blessed. I praise God of forming me, all of me, especially that I am not like others.

How are you looking on you? Are you comparing and looking to be like others? What if you embraced who you are and recognize and praise God for creating you to be you and know that you are for a purpose?

Yes, praise the rules that are set by God, as they are there to provide discipline and guidance.

“¹⁷⁴I long for your salvation, O LORD,

and your law is my delight.

¹⁷⁵Let my soul live and praise you,

and let your rules help me.

¹⁷⁶I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant,

for I do not forget your commandments.” — Psalm 119:174-176 (ESV)

I myself, feel as though rules give you direction. When I start something new or move into an area that I am unfamiliar, I look for the rules to guide me in that area so that I am more quickly able to assimilate and thrive.

Yes, some rules are a bit much to take in, yet they are put in place for a purpose. I am obliged to follow those rules until they change. I may work to get them changed, however I am still held to the rule until that time they do change. With the rules God has in place, I have to understand that those rules will not be amended. They are there and will not be changed as the one that can change them is God, and His word is inerrant.

Since it is clear that God’s word will not be changed, and by extension, His rules will not change, I must seek refuge in those rules and allow them to provide the discipline I need in my life. I need direction and guidance and God’s word will provide that for me. See above in verse 176, that I am lost and I have to lean on the commandments of God to guide me back to safety.

Not only am I to live within the rules of God, but I should be praising them. As I am lost and need guidance, the rules that are there are something not only to hold on to, but I am to also celebrate that I have them bring me back. I am in the debt of God for providing salvation for me and it is the least that I can do to follow the rules that He has provided to give me the direction to completing the work He has for me.

What rules out there are you aware? Are you celebrating the reason for the rules that keep you moving in the right direction? What if you were to embrace the rules of God and praise Him for providing them to guide you in the world?

I have heard the saying, “It is not boasting, if it is true”. Well, praising God for what He continually does may seem like boasting to some, but for me, it is just the truth.

“¹⁰The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;

all those who practice it have a good understanding.

His praise endures forever!” — Psalm 111:10 (ESV)

Praising God lasts forever and should never be removed from our actions.

“⁸In God we have boasted continually,

and we will give thanks to your name forever.” — Psalm 44:8 (ESV)

There you have it. I will five thanks to Him and boast on Him and praise Him continually and forever. I must remember that God never ceases and in that I have to hold strong, knowing that all is due and done in His time and my role is but to praise and boast on Him to others. I have to wait patiently for Him to complete His part, all the while bringing praise to Him for being there and working for me.

I will admit that waiting on God is not easy, and frankly I get frustrated with what I feel like is no action being taken on His part. I sit and wait expecting that He will act on my timeline and in those times I am less than thankful.

It is in those times that I should be heaping praise and boasting on Him more. God works on His timeline and no matter the desires I have, He will make things happen when He wants them to happen and not when I do. I have to remember that my role is to do the work He has for me and then wait for Him to take action with regard to that work. I have to praise the LORD for giving me the opportunity to do my part and then simply give it over to Him to act on.

I praise the LORD continually for the work He has done in my life and for the work He will do in my life, even when I do not know what that work was or is exactly. God works in ways that I do not know. He provides relief where I did not even know relief was needed. He provides success where I did not even know I would have failed otherwise. He provides all things for all people for all times, and our role is to simply continue to do the work and praise Him continually.

What things are going in your life that you are not aware? Are you praising God for all that he has done and will do in your life? What if you were to just praise Him continually and boast on Him forever, knowing that all He does is in His time?

That is not exactly what the title of the passage I am in this morning says, for me though, it really fits nicely.

“¹Praise the LORD!

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever!

²Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD,

or declare all his praise?

³Blessed are they who observe justice,

who do righteousness at all times!” — Psalm 106:1-3 (ESV)

I look at the whole passage of Psalm 106 and see all of the actions taken by God’s chosen people, the Israelites, and see nothing in their actions that demonstrate that God should be merciful and be all in with them. They were saved, by God, from Pharaoh and his army as they escaped Egypt. And yet they forgot and looked away from Him to idols. They put God to the test. They were again saved as Moses interceded for them, and yet they found another idol to worship. They were interceded again for by Phinehas and were saved again. And yet again they turned from Him, and angered the LORD.

After all of this, the LORD still loved His chosen people.

“⁴⁴Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress,

when he heard their cry.

⁴⁵For their sake he remembered his covenant,

and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.

⁴⁶He caused them to be pitied

by all those who held them captive.” — Psalm 106:44-46 (ESV)

God is good and He demonstrates that here in this passage. As much as His people turned away from Him, He did not give up on them. He loved them and cherished them and followed through on His promises to them.

And this should be a lesson to all of us. God loves us and when we have accepted the gift of salvation He freely gives, He will not turn away from us in the end. We are His and he loves us from now until eternity. That love does not mean that we will not disciplined when we are wrong, but it does mean that He will love us in spite of those wrongs and that discipline is the demonstration of that love.

The LORD is worthy of praise, for He is good and loving to us, even when we are not showing our love of Him.

“⁴⁸Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,

from everlasting to everlasting!

And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’

Praise the LORD!” — Psalm 106:48 (ESV)

What have you done that may not be exactly deserving of the love of the LORD? Are you aware that He loves you anyway and will not turn away from you as you have accepted the salvation He freely gives? What if you allowed Him to demonstrate His love for you and you were to lift Him up in praise, for He is good for loving you?

I believe that too often, we expect things from others and yet do not provide an example for them to model after. God is not that way and it is important for me to use Him as the example as I progress through this world.

God provides for me as he is proud of me. I do His work and I can, in my mind and heart, see Him sitting on the throne just smiling with a glorious look on His face, the same as I do when I learn of something done by my boys. I can see Him in circles in heaven, talking up what He saw and praising the work that was done. I have to remember that image everyday and reciprocate it right back at Him.

“¹Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!

²Serve the LORD with gladness!

Come into his presence with singing!

³Know that the LORD, he is God!

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

⁴Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name!

⁵For the LORD is good;

his steadfast love endures forever,

and his faithfulness to all generations.” — Psalm 100 (ESV)

I happen to be writing this morning on Good Friday. This is the day that Jesus was crucified. What a great day for me to praise Him for what He has done for me. I have to let it known that God sent His Son to die for me. I can just see Him in heaven beaming and talking it up and heaping praise to Jesus for doing just that. I have to model that example of what I see and throw additional praise to Him for the actions done to save me.

Praise is not just for today and at those significant events. It is for all time. I have to heap praise at all times on God for the work that He has done in my life. I have to lift Him up just as He lifts me up.

What are your thoughts on heaping praise on God? Are you only in the act of doing so when He does something significant in your life? What if you praised Him continually as He demonstrates with you?

This morning I was led to Psalm again as I study the word “praise”. I was reminded that God is bigger than any and everything else.

“⁵Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!” — Psalm 89:5 (ESV)

The first part of verse 5 above tells it all, “Let the heavens praise…” I have to think of who else will be praising God. There are those that follow Him. There are those that celebrate, either deliverance, or success. There are those that are new converts. And there are those in verse 5 that are the greater than those of us in this world, the heavens themselves.

God is good. He is so good that even the heavens praise His wonders. Those that are with Him now. God is there as the head of all that is and that should be recognized. I have to remember that God is bigger and that “Jesus is Better” (taken from a sermon series by John Free from Curry Creek Church).

The LORD is due praise and where that may start small with me, it comes from the bigger and more prominent. Those who are with Him are praising Him also. I am here to do my part and praise Him so that others may see. I am responsible for sharing God and all of His greatness to the world so that they will have the chance to praise Him. I have to demonstrate that He is worthy of praise from everyone, and show that even the heavenly beings are praising Him, so you can to.

What approach to praising God are you taking? Are you holding back, thinking that you somehow are not worthy to praise Him? What if you recognized that if the heavens can praise Him, you certainly can?

Praising God is vital to the success of our lives here in this world. That praise is not just for those times of deliverance and or wins, but at all times in this life. This morning I was reminded that praise is not something that is in the now, but should have been with me from the beginning of my life and to the end of my life as well.

“⁴Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,

from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.

⁵For you, O Lord, are my hope,

my trust, O LORD, from my youth.

⁶Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;

you are he who took me from my mother’s womb.

My praise is continually of you.

⁷I have been as a portent to many,

but you are my strong refuge.

⁸My mouth is filled with your praise,

and with your glory all the day.

⁹Do not cast me off in the time of old age;

forsake me not when my strength is spent.” — Psalm 71:4-9 (ESV)

Praise for and to the LORD began even before I was born into this world, as noted in verse 6 above. No, I was not praising Him at that time, but I did have reason to praise Him and that carried into my youth as noted in verse 5 above. I then recognized the glory of the LORD “all the day” as noted in verse 8 before carrying into my “old age” as noted in verse 9.

Praise is for a lifetime, and not just for those times when it “feels right” to praise Him. Whether or not the timing is right, is of no consequence. It is the praise to and for the LORD that matters. When it comes to the praise of the LORD, the time is always right.

From the beginning of my life and into old age, as I journey there, I must remember to praise the LORD. I am responsible to bring praise to Him and demonstrate that praise for all to see. I have to be overt in my praise so that there is no question, where and to whom my allegiance lies, the LORD. I need those from small and young to the youth and young adults and those that are of my age and beyond to see that the LORD is great and greatly to be praised.

What is getting in the way of your praise for the LORD, regardless of your age in life? Are you looking for the right opportunity to praise so that someone might see you in action? What if you just demonstrated your praise for all to see, regardless of their age and for sure, regardless of yours?

In my study of the word “praise” I have found that it is important that I praise, not only for my good, but also the good of others. I have to display my praise for all to see and know that they can and should praise as well.

This morning I realized that I have make it known to all that they should be praising as well. My actions are not the only demonstration of praise, I have to speak it as well. I use the phrase “speak it into existence” when I am training classes to ensure that everyone knows to verbalize their questions and thought to be sure they are getting the answers they need. I have to remember to take my own advice and speak praise into existence as well for all to experience.

It is not only important for me and Christ followers to praise, but for all to praise and experience the LORD.

“¹May God be gracious to us and bless us

and make his face to shine upon us, Selah

²that your way may be known on earth,

your saving power among all nations.

³Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you!

⁴Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,

for you judge the peoples with equity

and guide the nations upon earth. Selah

⁵Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you!” — Psalm 67:1-5 (ESV)

This passage, a call to all for praise, is one to keep top of mind as I progress through my days. I have to remember to not only call on God for His praise (having Him shine his face on us), but also to shower Him with praise. I also have to remember to not only shower Him with praise, but I must do so out loud for all to hear and call on all to praise Him as well.

What have you been doing in the way of praise to the LORD? Are you keeping it all to yourself in the privacy of your own little world? What if you were to praise Him out loud and call on others to do so as well and encourage them to do so out loud and often as you?