Ways to Praise

Psalm 147:1,  "Praise the Lord.  How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!"  Psalm 146:2,  "I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live."  Psalm 150:6,  "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord."

       Gary Chapman described five different love languages.  Some people say love with words and others with deeds.  We each have our own way of expressing how we feel about someone.

       In the same way, we each have different ways to praise God.  The writer uses words.  The poet's words may rhyme or come in stanza form.  The artist paints his praise on canvas.  The musician plays his praise on his instrument.  The singer sings his songs of praise, and the composer praises God through the songs he writes.  The housekeeper can praise God by making a comfortable home for her family.  The breadwinner can praise God by providing for the family he loves.  A mother can praise God when she cradles her small baby and marvels over the perfection of the little person she holds.  Children can praise the God of creation as they inspect such marvels as bugs and worms and rocks and flowers.

       It is almost impossible not to praise God at the seashore as we contemplate the seemingly endlessness of the ocean in contrast to the myriad tiny sea creatures which spawn our fascination.  And gazing enraptured at the mighty snow capped mountain peaks evokes a natural response of awe and worship and praise.

       We can live lives of praise to God by obedience to His word, our righteous behavior, and kind deeds done in love to others.

       The most direct love language is prayer.  It is, most of all, through prayer that we tell God how much we revere His greatness, His goodness, His wisdom, His mercy, and His grace.

       Our God is a God of infinite variety, and it is so exciting to see that there are many ways for us to praise and worship Him.  What are your favorite ways to praise God?  What praise languages might you use today?

Mighty God, I praise You with my whole heart today!  Amen.