Praise is comely!

Psalm 147:1

Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.

If you have ever read the Psalms before, you will know that they are replete with the injunction to “praise the Lord!” We are repeatedly encouraged to engage in the worship of our Lord, to praise Him in all circumstances. David, who wrote a large number of the Psalms, recounts his troubles, but then often ends the psalm with a praise to the Lord, given laud and honor to His name. And then, as we come toward the end of this longest book of the Bible, we have whole psalms dedicated to this one proposition-that we should simply praise the Lord while we live. That we should sing praises to our God while we have any being. As long as breath is extant in our bodies, and the spirit of God is in our nostrils, we should praise the name of the Lord. Every day should we praise Him. The psalmist says that he would do this seven times a day. This is a necessary activity that we must engage in without exception, as it transports us to a higher plain that we would never attain to otherwise. For, you see, it brings us nearer to the Lord, and it lifts our hearts and our spirits toward Him. The Lord inhabits the praises of His people. The reason that some remain on the lower level of Christianity and do not enjoy the felicity that is available for God’s children is that they have never learned the skill of praise. We only know how to praise Him when our life is conducive to the activity. We only praise Him when we feel we can praise Him. We only praise Him when we think there is a reason to praise Him. But, do you know, oh my friend, that there is always a reason to praise Him?

My dearly beloved, the whole earth and universe praises Him in great harmony. No matter the state, the station, or the status of their affairs, they continue to praise Him unimpeded. May you and I do the same today! No matter what! Without exception! Learn to praise when you don’t feel like it! Learn to praise when it is contrary to your being! Learn to praise when you don’t see a reason! Because you must remember that there is a reason! His goodness, His righteousness, and His truth are constants. His care for the sparrows and for all of His children are immutable concepts. His love for His people, and His solicitude toward their needs is continually evident. His greatness, power, and might are unbreakable. His salvation! It is eternal, immortal, and already possessed by us! His Heaven is being prepared for the saints of God. He has gone to prepare a place for us! Oh, dear brother, praise Him today. Oh, dear sister, praise Him today! For it is pleasant, and praise is comely!

“Now, our Father, we thank Thee that there are numberless reasons to lift up Thy holy name today in praise and worship to you. May you remind us of all the reasons to praise you. And when we can’t see the reasons, or perhaps won’t see the reasons, may we praise you through the clouds, and adore you through the tears. For Thou art good, Thy mercy is everlasting, and Thy truth endureth to all generations. We wholeheartedly praise you right now. We laud your holy name now. For you are worthy of all our praise. For Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created. Help us to praise you every moment this day. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”