“I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.” (Psalm 145:1-2)
Human beings are praise machines. We’re built to cheer. It’s in our DNA. That doesn’t mean we always want to do it, but we’ve got the code for it. Put 20 or so of us in a room where someone is performing or competing or even just telling good jokes, and we’re very like to hoot and clap and holler and buy the poster.
Our God is the perfect praise-receiving machine. Okay, He’s not a machine, but there is no more natural target for praise in the universe than him. And we’re told hHe actually responds when his kids praise him with real hearts.
It only makes sense that we should get together, especially since that’s what he built us to do and because something in us wakes up and feels truthful when we are in the act of praising him. Everybody wins.
We’re going to praise him right along with the songwriter king of Israel this whole week to find out more about why he deserves our praise – and why we’re missing out if we don’t give it to him.
Think: Does praising God feel to you like a duty or something you look forward to? How hard is it to think of real reasons to praise him? How often do you praise him to someone else without singing?
Pray: Ask God to help you to praise him as he deserves. Thank him that as a Christian, you will praise his name for ever and ever.
Do: If you want to get a jump start on the week, read all the way through Psalm 145.