When life is challenging and hard to know who is telling the truth, are you thinking what’s the point of praise? I’m struggling right now. Allow our Psalmist, David to speak truth with the power of God’s Spirit in him to clear the air with all the points of praise we just cannot ignore!
- Point One– God is God and can never be praised enough because of his greatness.
- Point Two- God has proved Himself and shown His loving character generation and after generation.
- Point Three- God is the Creator of all that is beautiful and full of splendor is designed in ways that boggle the minds of his created humans. We can only sing of His wonders!
- Point Four- Everyone cannot help but talk of God even though they do not know God they cannot discount all the God has done! God is famous!
- Point Five- The most important point of all—God is all mercy and grace—not quick to anger, is rich in love. Because of God’s character; God IS our only salvation from all evil and restores our relationship with Him.
- Point Six- God is good; His love endures forever. Truth, no matter if we believe it or not.
- Point Seven- God’s kingdom is God’s way of thinking which is upside down and backward to the world’s way of thinking. Earthly kingdoms built by man will fall and crumble. God’s kingdom will stand firm forever. God is God who has authority over all.
- Point Eight- God always does what He says. All that God said would happen in the history of the earth, and proclaimed by the prophets’ mouths and recorded on scrolls centuries before it happened was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, His Son. Every detail.
- Point Nine- God character is compassion on the oppressed with relentless love for the broken by life. God’s love is unchanging and cannot be taken from us for that would not be the character of God who is Love. Whether we believe and behave or not—God, in His great mercy, loves us. While wallowing in our sins, not knowing the way out, Christ died for our sins. God’s Plan all along was the Way back to Him through His One and Only Son, Jesus. Jesus came with the proclamation of the prophets— “I AM the Way, Truth, and Life, no one come to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6 God’s Plan from Creation was to provide a Way back to Him in relationship—God’s simply wants us to love Him back and to love each other like He loves us—without conditions.
- Point Ten- Everything God does is right—the trademark on all his works is love. This is WHY we praise Him with thanksgiving from all that is within us! We were made in the image of God with a purpose to praise Him with a desire to be like Him in all His ways!
- Point Eleven- God listens when we pray with committed hearts, seeking His wisdom. He hears our cries for help. He is with us always, ready to rescue and restore us. God is the only One we can trust. We cannot trust our own hearts for they deceive us into thinking we are better than we are and know what is best for us. Only God knows what is best for His Kingdom is stable, secure, unchanging and built to last forever. His Law in His Kingdom is Love and His Gospel is Peace. God cannot be voted out of office!
- Point Twelve- God sticks close to those who love Him and call on His Name. “God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9, MSG God is for us; not against us. (Read that again, God is for us; not against us!)
Points taken, David, and received. God is, and no one else is God.
Psalm 145, The Message
I lift you high in praise, my God, O my King!
and I’ll bless your name into eternity.
2 I’ll bless you every day,
and keep it up from now to eternity.
3 God is magnificent; he can never be praised enough.
There are no boundaries to his greatness.
4 Generation after generation stands in awe of your work;
each one tells stories of your mighty acts.
5 Your beauty and splendor have everyone talking;
I compose songs on your wonders.
6 Your marvelous doings are headline news;
I could write a book full of the details of your greatness.
7 The fame of your goodness spreads across the country;
your righteousness is on everyone’s lips.
8 God is all mercy and grace—
not quick to anger, is rich in love.
9 God is good to one and all;
everything he does is soaked through with grace.
10-11 Creation and creatures applaud you, God;
your holy people bless you.
They talk about the glories of your rule,
they exclaim over your splendor,
12 Letting the world know of your power for good,
the lavish splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is a kingdom eternal;
you never get voted out of office.
God always does what he says,
and is gracious in everything he does.
14 God gives a hand to those down on their luck,
gives a fresh start to those ready to quit.
15 All eyes are on you, expectant;
you give them their meals on time.
16 Generous to a fault,
you lavish your favor on all creatures.
17 Everything God does is right—
the trademark on all his works is love.
18 God’s there, listening for all who pray,
for all who pray and mean it.
19 He does what’s best for those who fear him—
hears them call out, and saves them.
20 God sticks by all who love him,
but it’s all over for those who don’t.
21 My mouth is filled with God’s praise.
Let everything living bless him,
bless his holy name from now to eternity!
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
THE POINT: We are created to praise the God of all with all that is within us with nothing held back for HE is God! God made us; we did not make ourselves. God is working on our behalf even before we know we need Him. There is no one like our God! We just spent the last 145 days soaking the psalms of truth telling of who God is and what He has done! So, believe and be blessed by God who is the Truth.
Thank you, dear Jesus, for being the Way back to God! Thank you, Holy Spirit for guiding us to all that is Truth.
Lord,
I love you with all my heart, mind, and soul. I surrender to You. I am yours. And I am listening. Thank you, thank you, thank you for a pure and honest relationship with you! To you be ALL glory, honor, and praise!
In Jesus Name, Yes and Amen!
