“Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord!” Psalm 113:1 ESV
Reflection: what is praise?
Have to admit, it feels pretty good to be recognized for a significant accomplishment. Something you worked really hard for. Might be completing an education, a big project at work, or even competing in a sports tournament. The underlying work it took to get there, all the sacrifices made, seem to be worth it for the price of achieving the goal you have set. And then when others notice, and give you praise for your achievement, we remember the good words spoken to us. Now, according to dictionary.com, praise is defined as “the act of expressing approval or admiration; commendation; laudation.” Interestingly, praise is associated with approval or admiration, which really means genuine praise is in a way approving and admiring the work, the accomplishment of who deserves the praise.
If you think about praise given to us, we tend to only remember the praise that was genuine. We can sense “fake” or disingenuous praise. It actually can be almost offensive, in a way. In the focus verse today, we see the psalmist calling for the praise of the Lord. Calling for the approval and admiration of what He has done, and is doing. And, for that to be a “genuine” praise, we have to know what it is that He has done, and is doing. We have to study His works, His achievements, before we can offer him genuine admiration of His works. Can you image how He feels if His people are standing in church on a Sunday morning, singing His praises, but nothing comes from a place of true admiration? Nothing comes from the heart of what is being sung? Just an upbeat melody with nice words?
Our praise of the Lord must be genuine.
A praise that comes from our own personal experience, from our hearts. So how do we do that? How do we identify what we can genuinely praise God for? The psalmist wrote “The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people. He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 113:4-9 ESV. This might not at all be something you find that you can offer praise to the Lord for, something you have experienced yourself.
So instead, spend a few moments today to reflect, to write down a couple of things that you truly admire the Lord for, that you can offer Him genuine praise for. Then tell Him, praise Him, for what you are truly grateful for, for what He has and is doing for you that you truly admire about Him. It must be real. Praise Him for that, and let the praise spring out of your heart, through your mouth. It feels good to give genuine praise, of someone you truly admire. You might end up like the psalmist who wrote “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.” Psalm 146:1-2 ESV