| CHRISTIAN LIFE AND DOCTRINE | August 2006 |
Praise the LORD!
THE INSPIRED WRITER says, “Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, … the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” (Heb. 13:15) And how appropriate is such a course! The rendering of praise indicates appreciation, gratitude, and thankfulness. In order to render praise, however, one must have a knowledge of God’s favors and blessings. The knowledge attained, devotion should follow, with praise and thanksgiving. It is well, therefore, that we count our blessings daily. Those who so do will find themselves the richer. They may have no more blessings than before, but they will the more appreciate them and be disposed to offer praise, worship, and thanksgiving.
The Bible assures us that many of God’s favors are common to all the human family, and not especially limited to those who have become his children through a complete consecration of themselves to him. Thus Jesus declared, the Father “maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”—Matt. 5:45
All should render some acknowledgement for the blessings that are common to all; but there is a difference between giving thanks to God and offering prayer—petition. The Lord grants the privilege of prayer only to those who have come into his family as children—through Christ. The Christian has special grounds for thanksgiving and praise to God; and his causes for praise multiply as the days go by, while he abides in the Lord.
The Scriptures indicate that the heavenly hosts give praise to God, recognizing his goodness toward them and toward us. The poet well says that “all who see and share his love” should have the desire to render unto him praise and thanksgiving. An unthankful heart cannot enjoy in full measure the Lord’s blessings.
Our praise to the Lord depends very largely upon our development in Christian faith and knowledge. We see God’s provision in Christ for the sins of the whole world. We see his mighty power displayed in the course of events and, as our eyes of understanding open more widely, we perceive his providence and his interest even in the smallest affairs of our lives as Christians. The Master’s words figuratively imply this, saying, “The very hairs of your head are all numbered.”—Matt. 10:30
Not merely when singing with our voices are we praising the Lord! The Scriptures tell us to sing and make melody to him in our hearts. (Eph. 5:19) This singing in the heart—this praising the Lord from the depths of our soul—is an experience that comes only to the fully consecrated and considerably developed children of God. Our whole life should be a song of praise to the Lord, and will be, if we are walking faithfully in the narrow way.