Morning By Morning #304

I will praise you, O LORD.

Psalm 9:1

From the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

Praise should always follow answered prayer like the mist of earth’s gratitude rises when the sun of heaven’s love warms the ground. Has the Lord been gracious to you and “turned his ear” (Ps. 116:2) to hear your earnest plea of prayer? Then praise Him as long as you live. Allow the ripe fruit to fall upon the fertile soil from which it drew its life. Never deny a song of praise to Him who has answered your prayer and who has “give[n] you the desires of your heart” (Ps. 37:4). To remain silent over God’s merciful gifts is to commit the sin of ingratitude, being as ungrateful as the nine lepers who, after being cured of leprosy by Jesus, did not return to give Him thanks. (See Luke 17:11 – 19.)

In fact, to forget to praise God is to refuse to benefit ourselves, for praise, like prayer, is one of the greatest means of fostering spiritual growth. Praise helps lift our burdens, strengthen our hope, and increase our faith. It is a healthy, invigorating exercise that quickens the pulse of believers, preparing us for new ventures in our Master’s service. Blessing God for the mercies we have received is also a way to benefit our fellowman, for “the afflicted [will] hear and rejoice” (Ps. 34:2). Others who have experienced similar circumstances will take comfort if we can say, “Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together…This poor man called, and the LORD heard him” (Ps. 34:3, 6). Weak hearts will be strengthened and downcast saints will be revived as they listen to our “songs of deliverance” (Ps. 32:7). Their doubts and fears will be rebuked as we “teach and admonish one another with…psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” (Col. 3:16). They too will “sing of the ways of the LORD” (Ps. 138:5) when they hear us magnify His holy name.

Praise is the most heavenly of Christian duties. Angels do not pray, but they never cease to praise God both day and night. And the redeemed, “wearing white robes and…holding palm branches in their hands” (Rev. 7:9), never weary of singing “a new song:…‘Worthy is the Lamb’“ (Rev. 5:9, 12).

From the pen of Jim Reimann:

David—shepherd, warrior, king, but also poet and musician—is our greatest example of someone who understood the power of praising God. The following is only a portion of the beautiful song he sang “when the LORD delivered him…from the hand of Saul” (2 Sam. 22:1):

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—from violent men you save me. I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies…In my distress I called to the LORD; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears…He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me…Therefore I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to your name.

2 Samuel 22:2 – 4, 7, 17 – 20, 50