When Praise Gets Personal

Intro

There are some things that nobody can do for you and praising God is one of them. We come to church to fellowship and to praise and worship God together, but it’s your responsibility to do your part. There is an expression, “you can take a horse to the well but you can’t make it drink” well you can bring a person to church but you can’t make them praise God. When I was just a child I didn’t understand people and their praise. I would see and hear people shouting, dancing, waving their hands, running and my cousins and I would laugh. Watching these people work so hard not to pay attention, or to get attention, and we would laugh. Then I got older, and I understood they “what” of praise but not the “why”. I had learned that God was all powerful and that he was the sovereign Lord over all creation. I knew by then that Jesus was a savior and that obviously, he was still in the healing and soul saving business. But, I didn’t understand “the reason”. Why did it take all that? Why did they have to shout?’ Why did they cry uncontrollably? I understood what praise was but I did understand the why. Then on April 6, 2002 I was in rollover car accident on I-70 doing over 60mph. I survived. I survived without a scratch, whiplash, sore neck, burse, or anything else. God had showed up and worked a miracle in my life that saved my life. That next Sunday I went to church and I found out why. It was not for show, it was not for attention, but it was because God deserved all the praise I could give him so it didn’t matter who was watching me that Sunday I was going in. Singing out of tune, clapping all extra hard for the songs. What had happened is that praise got personal. And now it does not matter who is watching me, I don’t care what anyone thinks, I’m going to praise God with everything I have because everything I have is from God.

What better way than for David to open this great song of praise than to make it personal? “Bless the LORD oh my soul, and all that’s is within me” And, I just love it that David is talking to himself. It takes that sometimes. You may have had a bad week and don’t feel like saying amen. Maybe you don’t even have an “amen” in your mind. Things haven’t been going your way and the plans you made have faltered.

1. His Gifts (v.1-7)

· Forgives your iniquities

· Heals your sicknesses

· Redeems your life from the pit (picture of falling and being snatched at the last step)

· Crowns you with steadfast love and mercy

· Satisfies your mouth with good things Your Youth is restored like the eagles.

· Righteousness and Justice for those that are oppressed.

· Made His ways known to Moses His acts to his people. Revelation.

2. His Grace (v.8-18)

· Does not chide, or stay angry

· Does not deal with us according to our sins

· As High as the heavens

· As far as the east is from the west.

3. His Glory (v.19-22)

David is ready to shut this thing down now. He is at the end of the song but he gets a little happy. He lifts the majesty of God by making mention of the throne that is above all and rules all. In this verse 19 David is Hebraically surrendering to God’s rule over his life and the universe. This idea of “throne” to the Jews was a position of power, authority, integrity, mercy, grace, love, and justice. The one who occupies the throne had to encompass all the qualities of a just kind. And here is God’s, occupying the throne of the heavens ruling over all.

David is so impressed that he now takes roll and invites some others to participate in his praise party.

· Angels

· Hosts

· Ministers

· All his works

Bless the Lord!!!

Bless him, if he blessed you.

bless him if he…forgave…healed…delivered…answered…kept....freed…Save