Praise the Lord

Bless the Lord

David instructs us to praise the Lord with all our soul and all that is within us. This is much deeper than just praising the Lord. Praising the Lord with all are soul requires a connection with God that illicit praise. It comes from our innermost being. It is not just a matter of lip service or serving, it is a matter of worship!

Jesus spoke of the pharisees in this way in Matt. 15:8-9

Matthew 15:8–9 (NASB95)

‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. ‘But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’ ”

The Pharisees pretended to love God but they loved themselves more. They said all the right things and from all outward appearances they appeared to be holy. However they did not know God. They knew the law of God but not the maker of the law. They believed they were in right standing with God for what they did, but pay attention to what God said. Their hearts are far from me and they worship me in vain.

They did not know God and could not worship Him because they did not know Him. True worshippers bring praise because they know Him and experience Him in their lives. John 4:22-24

John 4:22–24 (NASB95)

“You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Believers worship God in spirit and truth. This means that we worship God in our spirit first. It comes out in what we do. We worship God in truth because we do it in purity. Our motives are pure. We don’t worship to get what we want but because of who He is.

Believers are to bless the Lord and forget not His benefits. What are the benefits that would cause us to worship Him? David listed five benefits.

Five Benefits Of the Lord

Pardons all your iniquities

What did this mean to David? David was a king that commited adultery and murder. If we could rank sin these would probably be at the top of the list.

You will recall that David saw Uriah’s wife bathing on the top of a roof. He slept with her and impregnated her. He tried to cover it up by letting Uriah come home from the battle and sleep with his wife. Uriah refused to go home while his fellow soldiers were fighting. So David gave orders to put Uriah on the front line of the battle and then retreat and leave him there to be killed. His plan worked and he thought he got away with it until God sent the prophet Nathan to confront David about his sin.

2 Samuel 12:13–14 (NASB95)

Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. “However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.”

The Lord could have taken the life of David because of his sin but chose to forgive him of his sin. Though God forgave David his sin, He did not remove the consequence of David’s sin. The child he had in his sin died. The only thing that I can think of that is worse than dying is burying a child.

Even though David’s sin cost him the life of his child, he found hope in God that he would see his son again. 2 Samuel 12:23

2 Samuel 12:23 NASB95

“But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”

Even though David’s sin was extremely wicked it did not disqualify him from heaven. David knew that in the forgiveness of God, he would see his son in heaven one day.

This brings us great hope! There is only one sin that is big enough to keep us from heaven. This is the rejection of Jesus salvation through faith in Him. Mark 3:28-29

Mark 3:28–29 (NASB95)

“Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—

What is the blaspheming of the Holy Spirit? It is when the Holy Spirit is leading you to repentance and salvation and you reject His calling. This is the unpardonable sin.

Every other sin a person commits can be forgiven through repentance and faith in Jesus. We do not have to live in the guilt and shame of our sin. We can be forgiven!

Heals all your disease

David was a very sick person but God chose to heal him Psalms 38 gives us a look to what David suffered from. Psalms 38:5-8

Psalm 38:5–8 (NASB95)

My wounds grow foul and fester Because of my folly. I am bent over and greatly bowed down; I go mourning all day long. For my loins are filled with burning, And there is no soundness in my flesh. I am benumbed and badly crushed; I groan because of the agitation of my heart.

We see here that David was suffering physically, mentally, and spiritually. Physically David had festering soars, he was bent over, had burning in his loins. Emotionally he groaned because of his condition. Spiritually his hear was agitated. But God chose to heal him as he writes in Psalms 40:1-3

Psalm 40:1–3 (NASB95)

I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the Lord.

If you have ever been really sick, you know what it means to want to get better. I have heard stories of people suffering from COVID to the point of death. I have not had this experience but have had some health issues that caused me want to die.

God is gracious to heal. Sometimes he chooses to heal us on this side of heaven and sometimes God chooses to heal us on the other side of heaven. Being healed on the other side of heaven is much better because it is complete healing that will never again become sick. Rev. 21:4

Revelation 21:4 NASB95

and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

There is coming a day where we will all be healed. Until that day comes we can be grateful for the healing that God brings here on earth. We have seen it in Ron, Jim, Dale and many others. We should praise the Lord for His healing power!

Redeems your life from the pit

All people have sinned and are deserving of hell. But God has shown us great mercy and saved us from hell through His Son Jesus Christ. I am sure David thought he was going to be delivered to the pit for his sin but remember what he said in Psalms 40:2

Psalm 40:2 NASB95

He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.

The rock that he set his feet on is Jesus and brought him out of the pit of destruction.

God does the same thing for us. Eph. 2:1-9

Ephesians 2:1–9 NASB95

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

God has delivered us from hell to heaven through His Son Jesus Christ. He atoned for our sins on the cross. He was resurrected from the dead to conquer sin and death. He gives forgiveness and salvation to all who receive it through faith in Jesus.

We have eternal place in heaven through Jesus Christ. We should praise God for everlasting life.

Crowns us with lovingkindness and compassion

David had been called as king and Saul hated him for it. Saul pursued David to kill him. God showed David lovingkindness and compassion by protecting him from Saul. Consequently, David reciprocated this when he had the opportunity to kill Saul. 1 Sam. 24:4-7

1 Samuel 24:4–7 NASB95

The men of David said to him, “Behold, this is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold; I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you.’ ” Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul’s robe secretly. It came about afterward that David’s conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul’s robe. So he said to his men, “Far be it from me because of the Lord that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the Lord’s anointed.” David persuaded his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul arose, left the cave, and went on his way.

David did not kill Saul but showed lovingkindness to Saul. As a result this is how Saul responded. 1 Sam. 24:16-22

1 Samuel 24:16–22 NASB95

When David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” Then Saul lifted up his voice and wept. He said to David, “You are more righteous than I; for you have dealt well with me, while I have dealt wickedly with you. “You have declared today that you have done good to me, that the Lord delivered me into your hand and yet you did not kill me. “For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safely? May the Lord therefore reward you with good in return for what you have done to me this day. “Now, behold, I know that you will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. “So now swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me and that you will not destroy my name from my father’s household.” David swore to Saul. And Saul went to his home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

Our praise to the Lord is to show the same lovingkindness to our enemies that David showed to Saul. When we have opportunity for retaliation or revenge, we will be better served to show lovingkindness and compassion. This is the way we praise the Lord!

Satisfies your years with good things

The greatest blessing David recieved was the promise of God. 2 Sam. 7:8-17

2 Samuel 7:8–17 NASB95

“Now therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. “I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth. “I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will the wicked afflict them any more as formerly, even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also declares to you that the Lord will make a house for you. “When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ” In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

God told David that He established him here on earth from moving him from a sheep field to king. God sheltered David from all his enemies and gave him victory. He promised David that he would bless Israel with their own land and that they would live in peace. He finally promised David that his throne would be secured for all eternity. God fulfilled this promise in Jesus.

Jesus is the king of kings forever. Jesus promises us abundant life and everlasting life. John 10:10

John 10:10 NASB95

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

John 3:16 NASB95

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

\