“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights.” James 1:17
Can you frown and praise God at the same time? Not hardly! When we praise God it puts a smile on our face and gratefulness in our hearts as we consider what He has done for us. God created us after His own image and He made us to worship Him. He loves us unconditionally and so much that when mankind sinned He sent His only Son to die for our sins.
Christ became our sacrifice so we do not have to be eternally separated from God. THIS is love. THIS is worth praising God for. THIS is worth worshiping the One Who gave us eternal life. “Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.” (II Samuel 22:50) God has done and continues to do so much for us. We can show our love to Him by being grateful and praising His name.
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Thomas Ken wrote this song in the late 1600’s and it is still sung worldwide today. It is said during the Civil War some prisoners were being delivered to a prison. They were tired, lonely and sick but amongst them a voice started singing this song. Soon others had joined in until the song was finished and one man could be heard saying, “Prisons would prove palaces if Jesus would dwell with me there.”
He understood that his circumstances didn’t warrant praise but if Jesus was with him then everything was alright and he could sing still. Our lives aren’t as bad as being in a prison during the Civil War. Paul and Silas had a similar experience in Acts 16:25. “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.”
What do you have to praise God for today?
“Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.” Psalm 115:1
If you need more encouragement, you can find it here.