Praise: God's Benefits

Intro:
Let's swim in the deep end of the pool today. In the "Think" section, I borrow from Andrew Bonar, a Scottish pastor who lived from 1810-1892. The language can sometimes be difficult but there are gems in there. There is gold for the digger!

I put this on Friday so you can digest it over the weekend if you'd like.

Blessings,
Kevin

Read: Psalm 103:1-5
1 Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Think:
This psalm is a call to praise 'His holy name.' His 'doings' come after. His holy name is the fountainhead; His doings, the streams from Lebanon. We are called to praise Him because:

I. He forgiveth all our iniquities. — Our first true acquaintance with God is when He pardons us. Manasseh —that awful sinner—that man who leaned over hell— who spoke with the devil, and would not speak with God—that man was brought to know the Lord, and when He had forgiven him, 'then Manasseh knew that the Lord He was God.' What we need is a God who can take away our sins. 'All thine iniquities.' He does not leave a single sin resting on the conscience; the blood that cleanseth one sin cleanseth all. For our sins are linked together, one great awful chain round our soul, and God takes hold of the first link, and so casts the whole chain 'into the depths of the sea.' We need not wonder that the Psalmist puts this first, 'Who forgiveth all thine iniquities.'

II. He healeth all our diseases. — This may refer to bodily as well as to spiritual healing. I like to think in connection with this of the palsied man brought by his four friends to Jesus, and Jesus looking on him, and saying, 'Thy sins are forgiven thee.' Then a few minutes after, 'Rise, take up thy bed and walk.' When God takes away our sin He does not forget our bodily trouble. He may not heal us completely, but He takes the sting out of the disease. He has given us a pillow for our aching head in giving us pardon, and He whispers in our ear, 'This chastisement is that you may be partaker of My holiness.' This is the fire that is to melt away the dross. After pardon He gives healing of the soul's diseases. 'Sin shall not have dominion over you.' It is in the repeated use of the forgiving blood, day by day, that we mortify our corruptions, just as it is by the blood that we quench the fiery darts of the devil. When they touch the blood they are quenched. As it is 'all thine iniquities,' so it is 'all thy diseases.' There is not a corruption over which He will not give you victory.

III. He redeemeth our life from destruction.—We are 'kept by the mighty power of God.' We every day escape dangers that we are not aware of. Is it not a beautiful touch in Jeremiah 2:6, where God says to Israel, that He took care of him when he was going through the wilderness, 'a land of deserts and of pits.' Israel was skirting the margin of these pits as the Pillar-Cloud led him along—a picture of how we are led. How we shall praise Him yet for all His deliverances! If we but saw the snares Satan lays for us spiritually, how we would adore the Lord who enables us to escape them all! How often the devil tries to make us unwatchful, or gives us false peace, but God is watching over us, and He redeems our spiritual life from these spiritual injuries.

IV. He crowneth us with loving-kindness.—Providential supplies all the way as we journey on, putting a crown of tender mercies and loving-kindness round our head. We are wearing it, and perhaps do not know that we are. Look at the comforts of your lot. Think of the spiritual mercies of your life. 'Praise the Lord, O my soul!' Is He not satisfying your mouth with good things? When you were going to become a backslider He restored your soul. He fulfilled His promise that 'they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength,' and the earth looked very small as you ascended on eagles' wings. 'Forget not all His benefits.' There is a great deal of unbelief implied in forgetting. Faith has a good memory, unbelief forgets. Let us ask the Lord to give us better memories for all His benefits, that we may fix our minds on His grace, in spite of all that may happen to us.

'Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits!'

Do:
There is much here to praise the Lord for. Choose one of these areas to mediate on this weekend. Do you need to praise the Lord for forgiving you of your sin? Do you need to praise the Lord for healing your body and soul? Do you need to praise the Lord for protecting you from spiritual attacks? Do you need to praise the Lord for supplying you with good things?

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Praise: God's Deeds

Intro:
Actions speak louder than words. You can say someone is important to you but if you keep missing meetings, never return calls or don't spend time with that person they may wonder.

Actions speak louder than words with God too ... and that is a two way street! His actions and our actions are saying something about what is important.

Thankfully, our salvation is secured by His actions ALONE and not by anything we have done. God has done awesome things for us. His actions prove His love!

After all, actions do speak louder than words.

Read: Psalm 66
1 Shout with joy to God, all the earth!

2 Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!

3 Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.

4 All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name."

Selah

5 Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf!

6 He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot — come, let us rejoice in him.

7 He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations — let not the rebellious rise up against him.

Selah

8 Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard;

9 he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.

10 For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver.

11 You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.

12 You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.

13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill my vows to you - 14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble.

15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you and an offering of rams; I will offer bulls and goats.

Selah

16 Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me.

17 I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue.

18 If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;

19 but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.

20 Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

Think:
Psalm 66 is a song about the deeds of the Lord (see verses in orange). The Psalmist shouts (v.1), sings (v.2), speaks (v.3), sacrifices (v.15) & cries (v.17) in praise to the Lord for His work in their lives.

Let's note a few things:

1. Praise God for the good and the bad. They saw the good (v.1-9) and the not so good (v.10-12) and praised God for both. The Psalmist's recognition of God's work was not limited to only what made him happy. Some of the tough things came from the Lord as well.

2. Praise God for protection and provision. He protects their lives from enemies and from harm (v.9). He provides abundance (v.12), presence (v.18-19) and love (v.20).

3. Praise God privately and with others. Praise is to be shared. Many of the verses call for others to join in the praise of the Lord. Praise is individual but it is also group oriented. We should call others to share and speak out what God is doing in their lives.

Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds!

Do:
We serve an incredible God that lives in the big picture movements of our lives but also the details. He knows how to clothe and feed us. He knows how to love us passionately. He knows how to test us to know what is in our hearts. Can you find something to praise Him for today? Can you make His praise glorious?

Are you willing to praise Him for your difficulty and pain?

Where has God provided for you and yours? Where has He protected you?

Can you share your praises with others? Share it with believers and let them rejoice with you but also share it with your neighbors tell them what he has done for you!

DevoLink: Devotions to help you Link with God.

Praise: In School

Intro:
One of the benefits of an increasingly secular culture is the clear line it creates. To stand for the Lord at school (or work) is difficult but is a way that brings God praise and glory.

While I was a youth pastor in CA a group started the See You at the Pole campaign. This simple yet powerful statement is a great way to praise God at school. I remember the first one I went to. It was awesome and a little uncomfortable at the same time. We had over 50 kids stand up to be counted for Christ on their HS campus.

I would encourage all parents of school age children to visit the site and plan to be a part of this event.

Read: Daniel 3:13-29
13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"

16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?"
They replied, "Certainly, O king."

25 He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."

26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!"
So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way."

Think:
Shadrach, Meshach and Adednego were Jewish teens raised to worship YHWH and Him only. They had, no doubt, memorized the first five books of the Old Testament (think of memorizing Leviticus!). They were resolved by their knowledge of the Scriptures, by their mentoring and by their experiences with the Holy One to not turn away from the Lord.

It would be daunting to have your faith challenged by a teacher in front of your peers. Yet these teens are confronted by the king! Few have ever be challenged by the highest office in the land for their faith and fewer still will receive the death penalty for their faith. Yet these boys stand resolute in their praise of the one true God.

I like the answer of these boys: God will save us and even if He doesn't .... He's still God! (v. 18). That's a strong answer. There is only one way to deal with Christians of this caliber ... you have to kill them! That has been the prescription of the last 2000 years of Church history.

There is a special treat for those that stand up like this ... Jesus stands with you (v. 25). He protected these teens, unbound them and restored them before the king. The life choice of these young men called for a visit from heaven. Someone brighter than the furnace showed up! What an awesome God!

In the end God is praised. He is praised by the testimony of the 3 teens. He is praised by the sacrifice of their lives. He is praised by the work of His Son in the furnace. He is praised by the miracle of saving these young men. He is praised by the king. He is praised by the declaration to Babylon (v. 29).

All because 3 teens stood up for the Lord.

Do:
Think about where you work or go to school. Is it obvious to those around you that you are a follower of the one true God? Are you graciously bold with those around you?

Will you participate in See you at the Pole this year? Please visit the site and plan to be a part on 9.23.09.


For those of that appreciate Veggie Tales here is the furnace clip from Rack Shack and Benny. Worth watching!

Mr Lunt says, "Hey boss, how many guys did we throw into de furnace? ... One of them's real shiny!"

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Praise: For Salvation

Intro:
How dumb would it be to not take a life preserver thrown to you in the ocean? If you were drowning and in need, would you curse the one that threw you a line? Would you ignore the pleas to take the line and be saved?

Yet, so many of our peers are clueless to their true condition. They have no idea that they are in dire need of rescue and they have no interest in a Savior.

Maybe it is where the culture is at. Maybe it is pride in them. Maybe it is our methods. Maybe it is secular humanism fueled by Darwinian thought. I am not sure what the cause but the net result is the same, people are hearing of the kindness of a Savior but are not interested.

On the other hand, we have the joy of praising the God that saves. He get the honor of knowing Him that rescued us from the dungeon of darkness. He know the one that threw us a line.

Read: Isaiah 42:5-9
5 This is what God the LORD says—
he who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it,
who gives breath to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:

6 "I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,

7 to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

8 "I am the LORD; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to another
or my praise to idols.

9 See, the former things have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce them to you."

Think:
This is a passage about the Messiah and how He will act on earth. The Messiah had a special relationship with God the Lord (v.6) and had a special assignment: restoring relationships of people with God (v.6-7).

How awesome to have a God that is concerned with releasing folks from darkness and from bondage (v.7). That was the ministry of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. He came to set folks free. He came to shine light in the darkness. He came to throw us a line.

God is the One that sent the Messiah to save us and as such is worthy of our highest praise.

From this passage we learn 3 things about how to praise the Lord (v.9). We uphold the glory of God when we:
1. Remember His name - that's the name of the greatest reputation on earth. He is the One that has "glory" or weightiness of presence. It was the Prince that saved the pauper.
2. Reflect His greatness - our lives are to reflect the greatness of God our savior. We do not want people to see us and think we are wonderful ... we want people to see us and say, "What an amazing God who works wonders in broken people."
3. Rejoice in His praises - it is an honor to know the Lord no less worship Him. He is the God of gods and the Ruler over all. He is not like an idol that cannot speak or see. He is our God, our Provider, our Protector, our Friend. We get to praise Him. We can rejoice in that!

Do:
Have you grabbed the line? Have you been rescued? If you need to know more about how to meet Jesus Christ you can read Romans 3 and you can also read "How to know Jesus" on the DevoLink home page (under the About Us section).

Have you taken time to reflect on your rescue? Have you praised the Lord for throwing you a line and saving you? He is worthy of our praise. He is the God who saves.

What have you been saved from? Can you get saved without recognizing your sinfulness? Do you picture your pre-Christ days as "sitting in darkness" or in a dungeon?

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Praise: In the Storm

Intro:
Mike lost his battle to cancer when he was 40. In the months leading up to his death he displayed an incredible faith in the Lord. I thought for sure he would crack as the final moments and the reality of leaving his wife and two young children behind set in.

Not only did he not crack, he continued to deepen his faith and praise of the Lord. He was a wonderful example to all of us but especially to his children.

At the memorial service, the song, "Praise You in this Storm" was the perfect backdrop to pictures of Mike in the military and with his family flashed on the screen. He lived it out. He faced life's toughest battle, death, by taking God at His word and praising Him regardless of the outcome.

I think of Mike every time I hear that song.

Read: 2 Chronicles 20:15-26
15 The prophet said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.' "

18 Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD. 19 Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with very loud voice.

20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful." 21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:
"Give thanks to the LORD,
for his love endures forever."

22 As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 23 The men of Ammon and Moab rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

24 When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. 25 So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it. 26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah, where they praised the LORD. This is why it is called the Valley of Beracah to this day.

*Valley of Beracah = valley of praise

Think:
Israel was in trouble. A storm was brewing and it looked like the experiment was finally going to end. Surrounded by the armies of Moab and Ammon, it looked like they were going to die. Men, women and children came to the king looking for answers. What was the strategy going to be to rescue their families from this storm? What was the secret weapon?

Fighting against an enemy that out numbered and out gunned them should have called for stealth and guerrilla war tactics. But not for Jehoshaphat ... he had a terrible battle strategy. His plan was to sing! He put the band at the front of the military line. He put the band as the spearhead. He put the guy with the flute in front of the guy with the spear.

That's crazy .... or genius!

Jehoshaphat was in the battle of his life and he knew he had only one option: the LORD. God would have to come through as he said he would or it was all over (v. 15).

Same is true for us. Many of us face storms that seem overwhelming. We have one of a few options:
1. Fight - take it on ourselves, pull ourselves up by the boot straps
2. Flight - run for it and hope to fight another day when you feel stronger
3. Freeze - wait on the Lord, sing to Him and Praise His name, watch Him work

We are encouraged to take God at His word and praise Him in the storm. We need to be in the band and praise his name BEFORE we win the battle. Sing His praise and thank Him for deliverance BEFORE He delivers. Take Him at his word.

Get out front and sing your guts out and ask the Lord to deliver you.

Do:
Jehoshaphat was taking God at His word. The Lord told him that the battle belonged to Him. Do you take God at His Word? What has He said that you can trust today? Do you know that He loves you unconditionally today? Do you know that He will feed you and give you what you need today? Do you know that He will never leave you nor forsake you? Do you know that He will run to you if you will turn to Him?

Put your praise at the front of your efforts! Sing to the Lord out of obedience and trust. Praise Him in the storm and watch Him deliver you. He's good like that!

Listen to Praise you in the Storm by Casting Crowns in the DevoLink Worship Center.

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