Praise

September 18, 2010

PRAISE THERAPY

Scripture Reading--Psalm 150:1-6

Those with physical injuries need physical therapy.  Those who have other problems are sometimes treated with "color therapy" or "aromatherapy."  But God's Word offers another kind of therapy--"praise therapy."  

Because God made us, we owe our existence to Him.  We should praise the Lord because He is worthy of our praise; He is God!  One of the Puritans said, "In prayer we sound like men, but in praise we sound like angels."  The entire angelic host is continually praising the Lamb in the midst of the throne.  Praise is the language of heaven.

Praise is not so much therapy as it is our obligation and privilege.  Appropriate praise, however, brings great benefits.  Praise is for God, but it brings great blessing to our hearts.  Sometimes we need to put on "the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness" ( Isa. 61:3 ).  When we feel down in  the dumps, we should rehearse and praise the Lord for His goodness, mercy, holiness, love, longsuffering, and kindness.  We should express our appreciation to the Lord in verbal praise.  We will find that praise not only exalts God but also elevates the praiser.

We should praise God every time we feel like it.  Other times, we should praise God until we do feel like it.  We shouldn't let our emotions control us.  Character means we do right whether we feel like it or not.  We should do right because it is right until doing right becomes a natural part of our lives.  As we do our duty, our feelings will eventually catch up.  "Every thing that hath breath [ should ] praise the Lord" ( Ps. 150:6 ),

and that includes you and me!

APPLICATION:  According to Psalm 150, for how many things should we praise the Lord?  Do you remember which instruments this psalm said should be used in praise?

--Harold Vaughan--