TODAY IS…

a good day to praise God.

“Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the people.”  1 Chronicles 16:8 KJV

Very often, our prayers to God are filled with requests for help for ourselves and others, and that is perfectly acceptable to God. He wants us to give Him our troubles in order that our reliance upon Him may grow.

It is equally important to, “Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts.” (1 Chronicles 16:9 NIV).

Thanking God for all that He does and all that He is helps to take the focus off of ourselves and put it on Him, which is where it should be.

Praising God is easy if we have a good relationship with Him. In a good relationship, we have come to fully rely on God to provide guidance for all aspects of our lives. In a good relationship with God, our love for Him overflows our hearts and we should therefore be excited to share with others the way we feel.

It is very likely that most of us find it easy to praise God when the sun is shining in our lives and everything is going the way we want it to. It is equally important to remember to praise Him during the thunderstorms in our lives as well. We may find it very difficult for our human minds and hearts to accept some of the trials and tribulations that befall us, but these times are when it is most important to praise God and let others know that even though we may be experiencing great sorrow or hardship we must still trust God’s love, wisdom and guidance. We must let others know that we will not let anything undermine our trust in Him nor will we let anything shake the foundation of our faith.

Try to imagine how Paul and Silas must have felt when they were apprehended in Philippi. They were beaten, stripped, and placed in stocks deep inside the prison there. Despite the brutal treatment they received for trying to teach others about Christ and the salvation that He made available to everyone, they still sang praise to God.

“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.” (Acts 16:25 KJV).

In good times; in bad times; at all times, Praise God!

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson