Praising God

“Sing forth the honour of his name, make his praise glorious” Psalm 66:2

It is not left to our own option whether we shall praise God or not. Praise is God's most righteous due and every Christian, as the recipient of His grace, is bound to praise God day to day. It is true that we have not an authoritative formula for daily praise and no commandment prescribing certain hours for song and thanksgiving. But the law written upon the heart teaches us that it is right to praise God. The unwritten mandate comes to us with as much force as if it had been recorded on the tables of stone or handed to us from the top of thundering Mt. Sinai. Yes, it is the Christian's duty to praise God. It is not only a pleasurable exercise, but it is the absolute obligation of his life.


Do not think, you who are cast down or under trials, that you are guiltless regarding this, or imagine that you can discharge your duty to the Lord without songs of praise. You are bound by the bonds of His love to bless His name as long as you live and His praise should continually be in your mouth, for you are blessed, in order that you may bless Him: "This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise"; if you do not praise God, you are not bringing forth the fruit which He, as the divine Husbandman, has a right to expect at your hands and your voice. Let not your harp, then, hang on the willows, but take it down and strive with a grateful heart to bring forth its loudest music. Arise and chant His praise with every morning's dawn. Lift up your notes of thanksgiving and let every setting sun be followed by your song. Girdle the earth with your praises and surround it with an atmosphere of melody. God Himself will hearken from heaven and accept your music.
-- C. H. Spurgeon

What would happen in our lives if we began to discipline ourselves every five minutes or even every fifteen minutes, to give thanks and praise to the Lord with our voice? Just to stop, open our mouths, and give Him praise and thanks? The Lord, through the Psalmist, said, "Whoso offers praise glorifies Me." This must surely mean that when I open my mouth and offer praise and thanksgiving (not just doing it in my mind), I am directly and literally glorifying God.

I have seen opportunities open up to share the gospel, when, at the times I am asked how I am doing or am I having a good day, I respond with, "Yes, praise God; He has been good to me today; in fact, could I share a neat thing the Bible says, 'A man can receive nothing except it be given to Him from heaven'. So the reason my day is good is because God is being good and very gracious." People don't know how to respond to that. Some don't care, but some open up to talk. I have had full conversations about Christ with waiters or waitresses in restaurants simply because I chose to give thanks and praise to God as a result of their normal questions. It is really true--"Whoso offers praise glorifies Me."

- Mack Tomlinson