Praise

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Psalm 150:6

At the beginning of each year, I pray and ask God for direction in an area in my life where He wants to grow me, refine me and sanctify me. In considering the word He gave me this year: praise, I ask myself, “What does it actually mean to praise God, and, “Is my relationship with Him one that includes it?” In essence, I’ve been challenged to continually give thanks and praises to God for His grace and goodness. 

As we get to know who God is, we can see His goodness and love in the works of others, such as the woman in Proverbs 31 who is honored for all that her hands have done and whose “works bring her praise at the city gate.” Nothing can be added to the simple beauty of this admirable portrait of someone whose labors for her rewards are that of praise. 

In my work, I tend to be the type of guy who sets a plan and says, “This is what I’m supposed to do,” and then I go and do it. From there, I plan out the next “to do,” and so on. This is typically the way I operate, which can distract me from focusing on those with whom I live and work. As I meditate on the word praise this year, I want to think of ways I could be praising God, as well as encouraging and affirming others for the works they are doing to bring Him glory, so that my labors are a reflection of God in me. 

Through many trials in his life, David becomes so intimately connected with God that he develops a heart like God’s. We see David, often called “a man after God’s own heart,” praising Him. In Psalm 150, David exudes continual praises to God, ending with, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”  My desire this year is to spend more time getting to know Him, so that my praises for Him will always be at the forefront of my mind and on my lips, praising Him and affirming those who glorify Him for all He is!