“Truth and Praise”

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…

"Truth and Praise" 

   

      

     Many things lead born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to praise God.  Experiences, emotions, the example and encouragement of other Christians - all have their place in motivating and empowering affirmation of our Lord's goodness and greatness.  However, the most powerful prompting of praise involves truth, that is, the more we know God and understand His Word, the more consistently we realize the rightness of expressing our admiration for Him.

    "I will praise Thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned Thy righteous judgments" (Psalm 119:7).

   Discovery of our Lord's character, nature, and way, as revealed in His Word and His corollary working in our lives, results in praise as He amazes us with wonder.  Emotion may be involved, but is not necessary.  Experience surely has a place as the Holy Spirit applies the principles of His Word in faithful application to the events of our lives.  Seeing His work in others also leads to the appreciation that fosters admiration and our expression thereof.  However, the most prevalent motivator for praising God remains the Psalmist's confession that learning God's "righteous judgments" (e.g., - perfectly correct decisions, manner, execution, ways) leads to praise.  "As for God, His way is perfect" (II Samuel 22:31).  Truth, as revealed to our hearts and minds by the Scriptures and Holy Spirit, inspires us to the consistent affirmation for which our Lord is so worthy, and which has such mighty impact in our hearts.  

   Who is God?  What has He done?  What is He doing?  What will He do forevermore through the Lord Jesus, and by His Spirit?  Learning the answers to these primary inquiries of our existence cannot fail to ignite and perpetually fuel a Christ-admiring heart in all who respond to God's light regarding Himself.  Thus, a consistently read and pondered Bible leads to praise.  Prayer also leads us to extol our Heavenly Father as it prepares us for discovery of how present and involved He is in our lives, and in His working in all things.  Essentially, Truth most motivates and empowers a heart of praise as we learn the determinations and ways of God that lead to "I will praise Thee."

"Teach me Thy way, O LORD; I will walk in Thy truth.  Unite my heart to fear Thy name. I will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify Thy name for evermore."

(Psalm 86:11-12)

Weekly Memory Verse

       "The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility."

 (Proverbs 15:33)

5848