Walking in Praise

Daily Devotional: Day 180

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Psalm 100:4, KJV).

You were made for praise – to proclaim the high praises of the Lord. When we get to heaven, we will be doing a lot of praising and blessing and thanking. So, you might want to practice now. Of course, that’s not the main motivation to praise the Lord. The Psalmist says, “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever” (Psalm 118:1, emphasis added). There, that’s our primary motivation.

We praise the Lord because He is good and His mercy (love) endures forever. Because the Lord’s mercy endures forever, it is only fitting that our praise also endures forever. In today’s passage, the Psalmist invites all worshipers to enter into the Lord’s gates with thanksgiving. He didn’t say, “Enter into His gates with gossip and complaining.” As children of God, we approach the Lord with praise on our hearts and lips, acknowledging His goodness, kindness and mercies. Praise is beautiful. It is divine. And, it is our calling.

When is a good time to praise the Lord?  Every time is a good time to praise the Lord; because the Lord is good all the time, even when we don’t feel good. Don’t let your fluctuating feelings determine if or when you will praise the Lord. Just praise the Lord, no matter how you’re feeling. You can praise the Lord as loud or as silently as possible. When believers gather as a church we should neither hesitate nor be ashamed to sing the Lord’s praises. Don’t worry about the quality of your voice. Just focus on giving praise. To praise the Lord is an honor bestowed on us His saints. In fact, giving praise is so precious, the Psalmist petitioned, “Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, and teach me your judgments” (Psalm 119:108, emphasis added). 

Give praise for your health. A seminary professor once said: “You don’t appreciate good health, until you’re in bad health.” He has a point. Give praise for the air you breathe free of charge. Give praise for the blood flowing through your veins. Give praise for your beating heart. Give thanks for the eyes which help you to read this Devotional.

Give praise for the rain and the sunshine. Bless the Lord for this country. Give praise for the food in your house. Give praise for the trees that give out oxygen. Give praise for the earth on which you walk. Give praise for the moon and stars above. Give praise for the Cross and the Resurrection of Christ. Give praise for your salvation. Praise the Lord until your life becomes an unending song of praise.

You’re more blessed than you realize. Pause and meditate on your life. You will notice the Lord’s goodness all around you. Your life is a testimony that the Lord is good. Praise the Lord!

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

For further study: Psalm 118:1-29