Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.** Psalms 100:1-5 (NIV)**
Praise to God our Father is always appropriate. Always. We are never to deny singing praises to Him, Whose mighty Hand graciously and freely gives to all. Seriously, what do we have that we did not receive? When we are silent over His mercies we are a base brood to say the least. To omit thanks to the Lord God is to suffer great ingratitude. Indeed, Scripture tells us in Psalms 145:13B-16 (NIV): “The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.”
Every single one of us are dependent upon Him - even for the very air which we freely breathe - not to mention everything else. It is proper to praise Him at all times. He forgives our sins, heals our diseases and redeems our lives from the pit and all else in between. Also, praising Him joyfully and wholeheartedly, rightly gets our focus off of self and on to the One Who is in control of all, filling us with gratitude in lieu of grumbling and complaining. When we stop for a nano-second to consider everything we have to be grateful for – even in the hard – it fills us with contentment rather than longing, Amen? Further, as we seek to please Him, we end up pleasing ourselves as He will be no man’s debtor.
The Lord Jesus desires for us to think well of Him – He is a loving Master, Who always has our best interest at heart. We are to be cheerful in our submission to His rule over our lives. This enables us to be cheerful in our service rather than complaining – for God loves a cheerful giver and high thoughts of Him increase our love for Him and His will and ways. It certainly does us well to consider Who He is and all the wonders He has performed and remember who we are. High thoughts of Him will increase our love for Him.
I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.** Psalms 9:1-2 (NIV)**
Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. Why do the nations say, “Where is their God?” Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases Him. Psalms 115:1-3 (NIV)