From: Beverly French [frenchb@vcss.k12.ca.us]
Sent: Sunday, July 28, 2002 6:51 AM
To: Heritage
Subject: Joyous Greetings

"I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
 And I will glorify Your name forevermore."  Psalm 86:12

Praise refers to words or actions that give honor to God.  Webster defines it as, "the offering of grateful homage in words or songs as an act of worship."

Like the Psalmist, how can we Believers do anything else but praise our gracious and Holy God?  For He has done great things and is greatly to be praised.  The Psalmist knows much about giving praise to God for His ways and for all He has done.  In 64 of the 150 Psalms we find the Psalmist speaking of praising God. I will share just a few verses here.

We praise the Lord:
In song:
"Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion!
 Declare His deeds among the people."  Psalm 9:11

With Musical Instruments:
"Praise the Lord with the harp;
 Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.  Psalm 33:2

All are to praise Him:
"Let the peoples praise You, O God;
 Let all the peoples praise You.   Psalm 67:3

Praise is to be on going:
"Through Him (Christ) then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, this is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name." Hebrews 13:15

And why?
"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may porcelain the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."  1 Peter 2:9

Psalm 150 is the glorious song of praise and worship for its focus is wholly unto the Lord.

Praise is worship unto to our Holy God with our whole heart!  And this not just at our Sunday worship, but moment by moment through our actions as well as our words.  How? In love: "And thou shalt love the Lord Thy God with all thine heart, and with all Thy soul, and with all Thy might."  Deuteronomy 6:5

In obedience:
"Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart."  Psalm 119:2

In trust:
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."  Proverbs 3:5

In prayer:
"And you will seek me, and find me, when you search for Me with all your heart."  Jeremiah 29:13

In repentance
"'Now, therefore,' says the Lord, 'Turn to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping and with mourning.'"  Joel 2:12 "For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation..."  2 Corinthians 7:10

And so with thanksgiving to the only wise and awesome God we sing: "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."

I close with the doxology in Jude --
"Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling,
 And to present you faultless
 Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
 To the only wise God our Savior ,
 Be glory and majesty, dominion and power,
 Both now and forever.  Amen"  Jude 24-25