|
Praising God is not a very complex concept in the Word of God, although it is hard for many a believer to accept. Praise has a simple meaning that I'm sure you will find in most any dictionary. It means to express admiration; to honor or exalt someone. Praising God is simply an expression of our love and adoration for God, yet there's a thought of reservation in the minds of some that says "we do not need to praise God" and "why should we praise God?"
We must come to realize that God is our Creator and we are His creation. Isaiah 14:12, "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High," and Genesis 3:4-5, "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Satan has sown his seed into the minds of men and now mankind in general, does not want to give glory to the Creator of the Universe.
Yet praise, in it's simplest form, is used daily by every human being on the face of the earth, whether to praise one's self or others. Whenever you recognize a deed well done by anyone and compliment them in any way, you have given them praise.
If one is willing to raise their level of consciousness or awareness, they would find that God is doing something every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day, not only in their life, but in the lives of people all over the world. One need only to look at the universe and the vastness of God's creation; from the giant quasars in the distant space billions of light years away, down to the atom, both invisible to the naked eye.
The only reason that one need know in order to praise the Living God is simply this... that we are His creation and He is our Creator. He is greater than us beyond our comprehension or understanding! If the born again believer is to accept the concept and practice of praising God and giving Him glory, it must begin with humility and faith; the humility it takes to allow one's self to believe that God is greater than their understanding will allow them to see, and the faith that it takes to act on it. One day all of creation will see as the Word of God declares that, "Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord," and this will be to the glory of God. Even the devil will have to say, "Jesus Christ is the Lord," Romans 14:11, "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God," and Philippians 2:10-11, "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Satan has sown the seed of pride into mankind. If you seek to find what it is that holds one back from praising God, you'll most always find pride at the heart of the problem. It is the nature of fallen man to praise himself and be reluctant to praise his Creator. We can look all around us and see forms of praise and adoration being released throughout the world. When we do, we will find that it is directed largely toward mankind itself; whether in the 100,000 seat capacity football games, television shows, rock concerts, fashion shows, the unveiling of the latest model cars, the dedication of a new super-structure, etc., man is always ready to give himself praise!
|
