November 30, Language of Praise

Today’s reading: Psalms 146-150

“Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness” - Psalm 150:1-2.

The Book of Psalms ends with the simple admonition to praise the Lord, not just for what He does, His “acts of power,” but for who He is, His “surpassing greatness.” Where is the appropriate place to praise? It is not only in church or “his sanctuary,” but also anyplace in His creation, His “mighty heavens.” If you are going to praise the Lord in and out of church, you are going to need a language of praise, which can only be developed as you practice. What do you say to the Lord when you praise Him? Are you specific? Do you have your own language of praise that you use regularly? Do you praise the Lord and tell Him why you are praising Him? This is not for God’s benefit, for He knows who He is. It is for your benefit, so that you can be clear in your own mind and heart as to who God is compared to the other relationships and priorities in your life. The end of Jude’s epistle is a good example of a language of praise, which you would do well to imitate:

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen (Jude 24-25).