My heart is not inclined to sing this morning! Yesterday, a call came from a friend's widow, telling me that Phil had died suddenly on Saturday evening from heart failure. He was my age, a father, a man who passionately loved God. It was just one more disappointment. As I talked with the Lord today, I was complaining and whining about all the problems that appear to be piling up all around. I was telling Him how unprepared I feel that I am for the work of ministry in the weeks ahead. I was completely focused on what I perceive to be lacking in my life right now, when I heard the Spirit urge me to choose to praise with the words of an old song. It was popular in my youth and in part says: "Praise the Lord, He can work through who praise Him; praise the Lord, for our God inhabits praise. Praise the Lord, for the chains that seems to bind you, serve only to remind you, that they drop powerless behind you, when you praise Him!" (Brown Bannister, 1978, Word Music)
Obediently, but not with much enthusiasm, I began to thank Him for His loving grace, for the opportunities of ministry, for meeting me during corporate worship yesterday, for the friends He has given to me, for my wife and the family that I treasure, ... and gradually my point of view is shifting from gloom to hope, from feeling desperate to sensing a greater Power working in me! Such is the power of obedient praise.
There is a story in the book of the Acts of the Apostles in which we learn the lesson of praise. Paul and his ministry partner, Silas, went to Philippi to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ. In the course of doing what God wanted them to do, they ended up falsely accused, beaten, and jailed. The natural response would be discouragement and complaint, right? Well, read this account about what they did!
"One day, on our way to the place of prayer, a slave girl ran into us. She was a psychic and, with her fortunetelling, made a lot of money for the people who owned her. She started following Paul around, calling everyone’s attention to us by yelling out, "These men are working for the Most High God. They’re laying out the road of salvation for you!" She did this for a number of days until Paul, finally fed up with her, turned and commanded the spirit that possessed her, "Out! In the name of Jesus Christ, get out of her!" And it was gone, just like that. When her owners saw that their lucrative little business was suddenly bankrupt, they went after Paul and Silas, roughed them up and dragged them into the market square.
Then the police arrested them and pulled them into a court with the accusation, "These men are disturbing the peace—dangerous Jewish agitators subverting our Roman law and order." By this time the crowd had turned into a restless mob out for blood. The judges went along with the mob, had Paul and Silas’s clothes ripped off and ordered a public beating. After beating them black-and-blue, they threw them into jail, telling the jailkeeper to put them under heavy guard so there would be no chance of escape. He did just that—threw them into the maximum security cell in the jail and clamped leg irons on them. Along about midnight,
Paul and Silas were at prayer and singing a robust hymn to God. The other prisoners couldn’t believe their ears. Then, without warning, a huge earthquake! The jailhouse tottered, every door flew open, all the prisoners were loose." (Acts 16:16-26, The Message) The rest of the story is also great. The jailer committed his life to Jesus that night, along with his entire family. Such is the power of praise in the middle of misery!
Be careful of empty praise, just mouthing phrases like "Thank you, Jesus," that you do not really believe! Be careful of saying things to others that come off as insincere. I am still working through my sorrow about Phil's death, so I cannot honestly praise God for any good I see in that- yet! Time will come, if I wait on Him, when I will be able to give thanks. Right now, however, I can sincerely praise God for Phil's testimony, his earnest faith, and his desire to honor Christ.
Here's a word from the Word. Take a few moments and read it more than once. Then obediently begin to praise. Darkness will be broken by the rays of Light that break through as the Spirit comes to you.
"Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations." (Psalm 100, NKJV)
__________________________
Come, Thou fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace.
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of God's unchanging love.
Come Thou Fount
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