Why Do You Praise God?

One of the best things we can do when we are struggling is to stop and praise God simply for who he is. In all the psalms I have covered thus far, David has done that. When he has been fearful of his enemies and waiting on the Lord to rescue him, he has praised God for who he is. When God has heard his cry and has moved him out of danger, David praises God for who he is. When David feels totally alone, he praises God for who he is. Well, the Psalmist in Psalm 33 is no different. It begins, “Let the godly sing for joy to the Lord for it is fitting for the pure to praise him. Praise the Lord with melodies on the lyre; make music for him on the ten-stringed harp. Sing a new song of praise to him, play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy.” (1-3) I love the next verse. It and the rest of the psalm answer the question why. Why should we praise God? We’ve already seen that it is fitting and pure to praise him, is there any other reason? “For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does.” (4) God’s Word is true. His promises are true. Everything he has said has happened. We can trust him. For me this is something I hold on to. I have had many people in my life promise me many things only to be disappointed again and again. God keeps his promises. I have a plaque with that inscribed on it sitting where I can see it every day, to remind myself that the word of the Lord holds true, and I can trust him. There is no one else in this world that can live up to that standard. Everyone in my life is bound to disappoint me at some point, if haven’t already, and yes it is hard when they do, but I know that I serve a God who will never let me down, who keeps his promises and who loves me far greater than anyone on this earth has and will ever love me. The same is true for you! Do you trust that God will keep his promises? Do you trust in his holy Word? The other verse I really like in this psalm is verse 11. It says, “But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever, his intentions can never be shaken” Wow, I just find such encouragement in knowing that all the plans that God has for me cannot be changed by something I do, or by something someone else does. His plan and purpose for my life will prevail over everything. That means no one can mess them up! That means that no matter how many times I fail, I cannot mess them up! Now, that is good news to me! The same is true for you. You can’t mess up the plans that God has for you. They are unshakable! Why? Because HE IS!! God keeps his promises and his plans cannot be altered by anyone. These are two big areas that I praise God for on a daily basis. I am so very thankful that I serve a God who loves me, who has a plan for me, whom I can trust, and whom is unshakable! Aren’t you? What do you praise God for?