When we look at God providing autumn refreshing for His people, our thoughts must eventually turn to autumn praise.
11 Our Lord and our God,
you are like the sun
and also like a shield.
You treat us with kindness
and with honor,
never denying any good thing
to those who live right.
12 Lord God All-Powerful,
you bless everyone
who trusts you (Psalm 84:11-12 CEV).
As I write these words, it is barely the beginning of the holiday season. Halloween is still a handful of days away. Christmas trees have adorned the aisles of several retail outlets for weeks, though many will be more elaborately displayed as we move closer to the weekend of Black Friday. Christmas candy has begun to fill the backroom stock shelves of Kroger grocery stores. As the words of a Francesca Battistelli song remind us, “I hear the bells a ringing loud and clear, you can’t help but love this time of year.”
Holiday expectations
Today is October 25, 2019 and the Hallmark and Lifetime networks want us to know that Christmas is descending upon us with the speed and impact of a Swiss Alps avalanche. Hallmark is going all out this year for their Christmas movie season, the tenth anniversary of their “Countdown to Christmas.” They will be premiering forty all new Hallmark movies. Not to be outdone, Lifetime will be delivering a more star-packed lineup.
The snow is manufactured. The mistletoe was purposely placed. The filming took place in July. Is it any wonder that we can’t meet our expectations for the holidays?
I am just as guilty. In order to get into the mood for writing seasonal lessons, I pulled up iTunes on my computer and began playing holiday music. For most of my music today, I use a streaming service. But when I used to save MP3 formatted music on the computer, Christmas music dominated the hard disk space. I have 445 Christmas songs saved, from Chuck Berry’s “Run Run Rudolph” and the Royal Guardsmen’s “Snoopy’s Christmas” to Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” and Nat King Cole’s “Christmas Song” and everything in between. The songs take up 2 gigabytes of space and would take over 24 hours to play through.
Perspective needed
Is there a way to keep things from spinning out of control? Can we cling to a perspective – not just for the holidays – but for the flow of life? Our psalm provides an answer: offer praises and thanksgiving for the things that God has done.
Harvard Health Publishing, the communication arm of the Harvard Medical School, captured my attention with the story’s headline, “Giving Thanks Can Make You Happier.” According to their research, gratitude is a “thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives.”
The benefits of gratitude are affirmed by Forbes, Psychology Today, Huffington Post, and a website called HappierHuman.com. Gratitude improves physical and psychological health. It enhances empathy and reduces aggression.
Solomon reminds us of the importance of the words that come out of our mouths.
Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body (Proverbs 16:24 ESV).
The NASB renders the last phrase more literally, “healing to the bones.” Good words provide deep healing to both the one speaking and the one hearing.
Verses of Praise
Praise is a word that is used often in the Bible. The answer to that question depends on the translation that you are using. There is no single correct way to render the words of the ancient Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek into English. The chart below will give you a little indication of how many times the English word “praise” occurs in different versions of the Bible.
How many times is the word “praise” used in the Bible? |
|||||||
| KJV | NASB | NIV | NRSV | ||||
| OT | NT | OT | NT | OT | NT | OT | NT |
| 222 | 26 | 179 | 28 | 299 | 41 | 182 | 22 |
We are never told an exact way to offer praise to God. Like the word “prayer” the Bible writers tell us to do so, and simply assume that we know how. We are not given a specific definition for either praise or prayer.
Here are a half dozen verses that paint a picture of what praising God should be in our lives and speech.
Sing to Him; sing praise to Him; tell about all His wonderful works (1 Chronicles 16:9 HCSB)!
Two important verses
Two important verbs are found in this verse. The first is the word “sing.” We are told this often by praise and worship leaders: lift your voices to the Lord in praise. There are a couple of important concepts hidden in the command to sing. Our praises are not always contained in a bubbly, joyful song. Some of the most powerful psalms of praise are couched in the form of a dirge. Read through Jeremiah’s painful expressions in the book of Lamentations. Our praise does not have to be jumping up and down. Sometimes our circumstances don’t support jumping.
The other concept in the word “sing” is volume. We do not have to be making a noise of sound to be making a “joyful noise.” Inside my head, my voice is really, really good. The noise that comes out of my mouth is rarely on pitch, but the one inside my head puts angels to shame. Let that voice sing!
The second important verb is the word “tell.” We are to tell about the wonderful, wondrous works of God. It certainly would include talking about His creation, or His work of salvation on the cross of Christ. But telling His works would also be describing how God has worked in your life. Go! Tell it on a mountain.
Hebrew poetic wisdom
Although I don’t show it here in verse or structure, this passage is written in the form of Hebrew poetry. Our two words, sing and tell, are paired in the Hebrew structure. Hebrew poetry can be contrasting – singing as opposed to telling. But it can be describing the same act, the same direction of traffic but different roads. Use your words – whether you sing them or tell them – to describe the wonderful activities of the Father.
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever (1 Chronicles 16:34 HCSB).
There are three important concepts in verse 34 of 1 Chronicles 16: thanks, good and forever. A part of praise is giving thanks to God. Let’s look at each for a moment.
Thankfulness in our hearts is elusive, isn’t it? Thanksgiving sets aside some time to be thankful. It is a time to reflect, to consider how we have been blessed. We think about the way that God has been involved in our lives. The day is spent away from work, unless we are in retail. Boxes of holiday decorations are explored for the Christmas holiday. We do a chunk of our Christmas shopping on the day afterwards.
Thankfulness
Even in the midst of preparing a Thanksgiving meal for out-of-town guests, we have at least four days that run at a different pace. We are probably off work, unless our work is retail. We are engulfed in family. Different things are important to us. Somewhere in the quiet, we become thankful.
We ought to be thankful every day, in and out throughout the day, 365 days a year. But if you are like me, you fail miserably. Why is it so hard to be thankful? Isn’t it even harder to express the thankfulness to others? Let me share a couple of potential reasons.
We are too busy.
We spend most of our lives running at a hectic pace. Juggling many activities at once becomes a skill. Even when we sit down to relax, we are probably doing more than one thing. A Nielsen survey discovered how much time Americans are spending on consuming video, online content, streaming services and other media. They found that consumers spend about 10 hours and 24 minutes a day interacting with media. The survey covered a period of time from April to June 2018.
About 81 percent of Americans use a digital device while watching television. More than 7 of 10 look up information about what they are watching. What else did this actor star in? When was this movie in the theaters? More than four out of ten send emails, texts, messages or posts about the content they are watching.
We don’t intend to not be thankful, we just haven’t figured out how to be thankful through media.
We are lulled into taking things for granted.
I am not sure why this is true. Some speculate that we takes things for granted because of the “entitlement” mentality in society. Others
Have you ever watched little children tear into opening presents at a Christmas or birthday celebration? Wrapping paper demolished. Lids popped open. Box tossed aside. Next! Unless the parents are forceful, the child may not even say, “Thank you.” They just are ready for more.
In many ways, I am like a child in my relationship with God. His blessings come in wonderful wrappings. I tear it open and am ready for the next one.
Satan does not want us to praise God.
Thanking God is worship in its purest sense. There is power in praise and worship. There is an incredibly interesting thought in the 8th Psalm:
With praises from children and from tiny infants, you have built a fortress. It makes your enemies silent, and all who turn against you
are left speechless (Psalm 8:2 CEV).
Praise changes our perspective. It puts Satan in his place. It takes away his power of deception and confusion. We are no longer uncertain about purpose and direction. Satan is thwarted.
Let’s get back to the passage in 1 Chronicles and to several verses of praise.
35 And say: “Save us, God of our salvation; gather us and rescue us from the nations
so that we may give thanks to Your holy name and rejoice in Your praise. 36 May Yahweh, the God of Israel, be praised from everlasting to everlasting.”
Then all the people said, “Amen” and “Praise the Lord” (1 Chronicles 16:35-36 HCSB)!
Praise from the Psalms
I appreciate that the writer of 1 Chronicles included these two verses in the passage. He gives us an example of what the 34th verse sounds like in real life. These are the words you use to express thanks to God. You start with salvation. Then speak about His holiness. Conclude by rejoicing in who God is. Your praise goes from everlasting to everlasting.
When you offer praise, everyone else will say “Amen!”
Serve the Lord with reverential awe and rejoice with trembling (Psalm 2:11 HCSB).
The word translated “serve” here is translated “worship” by the Amplified Bible, New American Standard Bible and the Message. Several others use the word “obey” instead. It involves service, but is dependent upon the context for the complete meaning. I wonder whether “praise” would be a better meaning in this context.
Praise the Lord with reverential awe. Rejoice, but do so with trembling. Don’t take the ability to serve or worship for granted. Above all, don’t take the Lord for granted.
Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds (Psalm 9:11 ESV)!
Two of the concepts of this verse have been discussed – singing and telling. But notice the additional information here. God sits enthroned in Zion. For the Hebrew in the Old Testament, Zion was another name for Jerusalem, the home of God’s people. Although even the rocks can cry out, it is imperative that God be praised among His people.
Great is His name
I will praise You in the great congregation; I will exalt You among many people (Psalm 35:18 HCSB).
The Psalmist here reminds us that we are not to be shy about our praise. We are to do so in front of great crowds – the great congregation, or among many people. The congregation would be pointing to God’s people. Do not be afraid to offer praise in front of other believers. Among many people stretches the circle to include the non-believers. Do not be ashamed of the gospel in the presence of others.
Let them praise Your great and awe-inspiring name. He is holy (Psalm 99:3 HCSB).
Let everyone praise the name of our God. Great and holy is His name. He inspires awe.
Audrey Assad is an American singer-songwriter and contemporary Christian musician. She has released a handful of albums since July of 2010. Her first album, The House You’re Building, went on to be named Christian Album of 2010 on Amazon and the Christian Breakthrough Album of the Year on iTunes. She has toured with other Christian musicians including Chris Tomlin, Tenth Avenue North and Jars of Clay.
On every album she includes a couple of hymns, accompanied by a more contemporary arrangement. On the album Inheritance she reminds us
Holy, holy, holy
Lord God Almighty
Early in the morning
Our songs shall rise to Thee
Holy, holy, holy
Merciful and mighty
God in three persons,
Blessed Trinity.
A perspective on praise
Here are another 138 verses which give us an indication of the nature of our praise and the worthiness of our God. The thread of praise literally runs throughout Scripture.
| Exodus 15:2 | Exodus 15:11 | Deuteronomy 10:21 | Judges 5:3 |
| 2 Samuel 22:4 | 2 Samuel 22:50 | 1 Chronicles 16:25 | 1 Chronicles 16:29 |
| 1 Chronicles 29:13 | 2 Chronicles 5:13 | 2 Chronicles 7:3 | Ezra 3:11 |
| Nehemiah 9:5 | Psalm 7:17 | Psalm 9:2 | Psalm 18:3 |
| Psalm 18:49 | Psalm 21:13 | Psalm 22:22-23 | Psalm 22:25-26 |
| Psalm 29:2 | Psalm 30:4 | Psalm 30:11-12 | Psalm 33:1-3 |
| Psalm 34:1-3 | Psalm 35:28 | Psalm 40:3 | Psalm 42:5 |
| Psalm 42:11 | Psalm 43:4 | Psalm 47:6 | Psalm 48:1 |
| Psalm 48:10 | Psalm 51:15 | Psalm 56:4 | Psalm 57:7 |
| Psalm 57:9 | Psalm 59:17 | Psalm 61:8 | Psalm 63:3 |
| Psalm 63:5 | Psalm 66:1-2 | Psalm 66:4 | Psalm 66:8 |
| Psalm 67:1-3 | Psalm 68:4 | Psalm 68:32 | Psalm 69:30 |
| Psalm 69:34 | Psalm 71:5-6 | Psalm 71:8 | Psalm 71:14 |
| Psalm 71:22-23 | Psalm 74:21 | Psalm 75:9 | Psalm 78:4 |
| Psalm 79:13 | Psalm 86:9 | Psalm 89:5 | Psalm 92:1 |
| Psalm 95:1 | Psalm 95:6 | Psalm 96:1 | Psalm 96:4 |
| Psalm 96:9 | Psalm 98:1 | Psalm 98:4-5 | Psalm 99:1 |
| Psalm 99:5 | Psalm 99:9 | Psalm 100:1-5 | Psalm 101:1 |
| Psalm 102:18 | Psalm 103:1 | Psalm 104:33 | Psalm 104:35 |
| Psalm 105:2 | Psalm 106:1 | Psalm 106:47-48 | Psalm 107:32 |
| Psalm 108:1 | Psalm 108:3 | Psalm 109:30 | Psalm 111:1 |
| Psalm 111:10 | Psalm 112:1 | Psalm 113:1 | Psalm 113:3 |
| Psalm 115:17-18 | Psalm 116:19 | Psalm 117:1-2 | Psalm 119:164 |
| Psalm 119:171 | Psalm 119:175 | Psalm 132:7 | Psalm 135:1-3 |
| Psalm 135:21 | Psalm 138:1 | Psalm 144:9 | Psalm 145:1-4 |
| Psalm 145:21 | Psalm 146:1-2 | Psalm 14:10 | Psalm 147:1 |
| Psalm 147:7-8 | Psalm 147:12 | Psalm 148:1-5 | Psalm 148:7 |
| Psalm 148:13-14 | Psalm 149:1 | Psalm 149:3 | Psalm 149:6 |
| Psalm 150:1-6 | Isaiah 12:5 | Isaiah 25:1 | Isaiah 42:8 |
| Isaiah 42:10, 12 | Isaiah 43:21 | Jeremiah 20:13 | Jeremiah 31:7 |
| Daniel 2:23 | Daniel 4:34 | Daniel 4:37 | Joel 2:26 |
| Luke 19:37-38 | Acts 16:25-26 | Romans 14:11 | Romans 15:8-10 |
| Ephesians 1:3 | Hebrews 2:12 | Hebrews 13:15 | James 5:13 |
| 1 Peter 1:7 | Revelation 5:12 | Revelation 7:12 | Revelation 19:5-6 |
Ten Scriptural Reasons to be Thankful
We are enamored with lists today. Top ten lists abound, especially as we approach the end of the year. In a really succinct way, here is a list of why the Scriptures tell us to be thankful.
We are thankful for what God has given us:
- God’s unfailing love (Psalm 107 HCSB).
- God’s grace “give to us through Christ Jesus” (1 Corinthians 1:4 HCSB)
- Victory “through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57
- God’s righteous laws (Psalm 119:62 HCSB)
- The faith of others to sustain and encourage us (Philemon 1:4 HCSB)
We are thankful for what God has done for us:
- God has “answered me … and become my salvation (Psalm 118:21 ESV)
- God has redeemed us “while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8 ESV)
- God has quailed us to “share in the inheritance of the saints (Colossians 1:12 ESV)
We are thankful for who God is:
- God is good. “His love endures forever” (1 Chronicles 16:34 ESV)
- God is faithful and just (1 John 1:9 ESV)
It is impossible to read these Scriptures, to sing these songs, to reflect on the goodness of God without applying it to my life. Confronted with the awe-inspiring wonder of God, I must fall on my face and cry out with Isaiah, “Woe is me, I am undone.”
So what about you? Has the abundance of these Scriptures weighed upon your shoulders? The time has come to be thankful. Name five things for which you are thankful. Limit the list to five. It will make you focus. Your priorities will become obvious. I am leaving the list wide open. You may want to narrow it even further by making the list only include people.
Five Things for which I am Thankful
The psalmist said, “That is why I can never stop praising you; I declare your glory all day long” (Psalm 71:8 NLT).
So the Scriptures must take root in my life. They must alter and mold my perspective. I would be hypocritical if I asked you to do something that I was not willing to do myself. Here is my list.
1. I am grateful for the family that raised me
My gratitude explodes for the family that raised me. I remember sitting in a class at Seminary and the professor had each of us take our turn giving our testimony of faith. Some came from families of abuse. Others had stories of dramatic conversion experiences. One young man was delivered from a life of drug abuse and alcohol when he became a Christian. I was more than a little concerned because my life was more than a little dull.
My earliest memories place me in a church building. The congregation was Dean Avenue Christian Church in Terre Haute, Indiana. The only thing that I remember of my home in Terre Haute is a wooden door that led to an upstairs that I don’t think I ever went up. I remember walking to first grade elementary school, but I don’t remember the classroom or the building.
But I can describe in detail the basement of the church. The concrete blocks that made up the walls of the basement. The accordion-like curtain over the serving window in the kitchen. The larger-than-life framed picture of Sallman’s Head of Christ hanging on the steps to the basement.
And I can remember that after almost every Sunday’s church, my sister and I would go home and “play” church. We had a little piano, a little Bible and a little pulpit.
I am thankful for parents and grandparents that wanted to make sure that I was in the Lord’s House every time the doors were opened. We did lots of things as a family, had lots of fun, enjoyed vacations and quirky memories. We bickered and irritated each other, like any other family. My parents were involved in my interests: sports, band, school activities.
But church was such an embedded thread in the tapestry of our lives that you could not remove it and still have a woven piece of art.
Come to find out, most wished they had my testimony.
2. I am grateful for the people who taught me sound doctrine.
I am grateful that people bothered to teach me the sound doctrine of Scripture. The list of men that cared to teach me Scripture is almost endless: Al Mitchell, my first “preacher” at Dean Avenue; Warren Robbins, the minister who baptized me; Tom Meneely, my first youth minister; Bud Cadwell, the first Sunday School teacher that invested time and energy into his students; Jim Bush, the first teen that I knew that was a Christian; Bill Strafford, who coached and mentored the Bible Bowl team; and Ron Hallock, the youth minister who tried so hard to get me to go to Lincoln.
The men and women at the Cincinnati Christian University – Cincinnati Bible College and Seminary when I was there – were the potters molding the clay of my theology and my life. I have thanked so many in so many other places, but I cannot express thanks without mentioning Tom Friskney and Dr. Lewis Foster. My theology would not be as sound, were it not for them. Their teaching style shaped and molded who I am as a teacher and a writer.
3. I am grateful for my wife.
I am most grateful for my wife. There are not enough words in my vocabulary to speak to the impact of the character of my wife Elizabeth. She is a tapestry of integrity, compassion, a drive for perfectionism and a tree-full of the Spirit’s fruit. Her example of a godly woman is set quietly. A balanced life as a spouse, a wise parent and grandparent, and leader is present every day.
She either finds the best in people or a way around the worst. She is my life’s companion and friend and the one I want to be like when I grow up.
To be honest, there is no earthly way that we should have ever met. I was years away from Cincinnati. My life was heading in a completely different direction. Yet God wove the threads of our lives to cross paths at the most opportune moment. “In the fullness of time” – it seems to be one of His specialties.
4. I am grateful for my children.
I am grateful for my children. Each child has brought a new flavor to life’s salsa; each has taught me different lessons and principles. My oldest daughter Sarah cares more deeply than most anyone I know. She gasps if she has to swat a fly, desperately desires for the world to be a better place, erupts with a lava of sincerity, and strengthens those who are around her.
Perhaps I have learned the most from the two children in the middle. Stephanie has taught me a side of people that I understand the least while showing me the drive and persistence that I admire the most. She is an overcomer, finding ways through life’s toughest challenges. She adores our two grandchildren, and more importantly she has committed to molding and shaping their lives.
Rob is fiercely loyal. In today’s throw-away world, few employees weather the storms of business. When things get tough, most just jump ship. A college graduate today will have 18 different jobs in their lifetime. Since moving into full time work, Rob has had one. Rob is tenacious to a fault to his system of justice and fairness. He is impassioned toward those ideals.
In our blended family, the youngest daughter Rachel is the glue that holds the vessel together. She has never been the biggest fish in the waters that she has sailed. But time and time again, she rises to the top of the water, shows that she has the skill to swim masterfully and sets a pace that others wish to follow. She is the owner of a treasure chest of talents. She uses each with selfless sacrifice and a godly Spirit.
5. I am grateful for Eastside Christian Church.
I am grateful for my church family. The church has always been important to me. Every congregation in which we have served holds a special place in my heart. Each group of believers has played a role in shaping who I am and how I behave. But none hold the same revered place in my heart as my family at Eastside Christian Church in Jeffersonville, Indiana. We moved to southern Indiana in 1993 and began attending Eastside the next year.
Twenty-five years of life together with the same group of believers. We have never stayed at one congregation so long. It is at Eastside that I have history. Twenty-five years of koinonia, of Biblical fellowship. We have seen the births of children, and the deaths of beloved saints. We have witnessed the miracle of God’s physical healing, even of the world’s most despised cancer. Shaking our heads, we try to understand when His choice was not our choice. Our prayers have ascended to God’s throne together; some filled with laughter, others with tears.
Eastside is not a perfect church. In an imperfect world, with sinners as her members, a perfect church simply does not exist. Eastside has made decisions that I would not have made. That would be true of every organization, wouldn’t it? But beyond the brick and mortar, past the symbolic ideal image of the church, Eastside is my family. I count on seeing my family and being with them every Sunday. Encouragement comes by your lives and your presence.
Without you, I am not the same person today.
Everything else in my life – good and bad, joyous and sorrowful, victories and defeats – are subservient to that list. Without those things, nothing else that matters matters.
And as Paul told the Philippian Christians:
Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God’s Message, from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears (Philippians 1:3-5 MSG).