Praise the Lord!

"Praise the LORD!

For it is good to sing praises to our God;

for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting...

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

Psalm 147: 1, 3

       When I was just out of high school, my friends and I started a worship band at church.  Now, this was over forty years ago.  Worship bands were not known especially in a Presbyterian church.  We played and sang songs from artists like The Imperials,  Andrus Blackwood and Company,  and Dallas Holm.  We were just some teenagers and early twenty-somethings singing for the Lord.  Many times we surprised the congregation we sang for on those Sundays.  We were sure they thought we were daft when we sang Oh Buddha.   But our hearts were pure and we sang from them.

        One song to this day touches my heart.  It is the song Praise the Lord by Ruff Taff.  This song touches my heart for many reasons.  First, because the dear friend who sang it had cystic fibrosis. One would think he couldn't sing but boy, he could.  He became the best man at our wedding a few years later.  He died a few years after that.   When I hear that song today, it reminds me of him singing.  Another reason is the lyrics remind us to praise the Lord no matter the circumstances.  When we are up against struggles and difficulties that shatter our dreams we are to praise to the Lord.  When our faith is feeling small we are to praise the Lord.  When we know Satan is wreaking havoc in our lives we are to praise the Lord.  Because when we sing out praises to our King, those chains that bind us fall from our wrists.  Those chains are powerless and fall useless to our feet when our praises reach the ears of the Lord.  

         King David had many reasons to praise the Lord.  His Psalms resonate with them. "Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise in the heights!  Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! Praise him sun and moon",  and the praise goes on in all creation (Ps.148).   We should want nothing else but Jesus and to spend our days worshipping and praising Him.  We should give him our hearts and everything else will be provided to us.   

           When we praise God, we are listing his attributes.  He is gracious, kind, wise, powerful, merciful and faithful.  All of these help to remind us who He has been and will continue to be.  He is near to all of us if we just call on Him.  We can praise Him in all things with thanksgiving.  When we praise God we are giving credit where the credit is due.  He is our Lord and we should praise Him forever and ever. Praise the Lord!

"Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord, oh my soul!

I will praise the Lord as long as I live:

I will sing praises to my God while I have my being."

Psalm 146: 1-2