“Let the people praise Thee”...the Wayfarer 4/7/14

“Let the people praise Thee”
 4/7/14

“Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.”

(Psalm 67:3)

Praise is given many things in this world, in many ways. Honors are both sought and coveted by a majority of human kind. When given that praise is most often fleeting, and given for mundane and even trivial achievements of men and by men.

Each profession seems to have its own unique celebration of what it considers to be praiseworthy. Each clique and group regularly honors various things with a praise sometimes merited, and sometimes without any merit at all, but with a sincere hope that that praise may eventually be merited.

This is done, as I said, often without thought, almost automatically when regarding men, and their “contributions”, their “prowess”, their “wisdom”.

Seldom is praise given to God, and what little is given is most usually mere lip service of those themselves seeking to receive the praise of men in return for perception of a righteousness that does not belong to them, but to GOD, whom they disrespect instead of praising with such attempts.

The scripture quoted today is quite familiar to many, has been repeated over the years by many, and truly meant by far too few merely mouthing words that for them hold no meaning other than the lip service given, and a request for material blessings in return for that lip service.

“God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah”

(Psalm 67:1)

Any request for mercy must come with the comprehension that there is a need for that mercy because of a failure on the part of the one requesting it to be worthy of the requested blessing that follows.

God wants to be merciful, to bless all, to have his face to shine brightly on all mankind, but will not have mercy, give blessing, or shine the light requested until the darkness created by ignoring Him and His intent, and, will concerning mankind, are repented and removed from the presence supposedly sought by the petitioner!

“That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations”

(Psalm 67:2)

This second verse is far less known or quoted by so many quoting the first, because it sets forth the reasons for giving that praise, those reasons far exceeding the mere lips service as they are uttered by so many.

It is God’s way that must be known, and honored if effective praise is to be offered, not ways of men that deny what he intends, and wants for us, that so many refuse to give up, and acknowledge above what is expected.

“Let the people praise thee, O God, let all the people praise thee.

O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon the earth. Selah”

(Psalm 67:3&4)

How many truly offer praise when the righteous judgment of god is seen in the affairs of mankind? Most see it not as a blessing, but as an affront to their own intent and plans that do not include His laws, commandments, and intent, but promote everything contrary to that very intent that would provide true blessing if truly sought.

“Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.

Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.

God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.”

(Psalm 67:5-7)

Praise given God is not given merely in song, not only in prayer, but in service to his will. Praise is only given through faith, that faith being dead without action taken to show the veracity of that faith. It cannot be given through works while seeking the glory and praise given by other men for those works, because those very works are worthless without giving credit to God through faith, making those works dead as well without that faith and credit given to God instead of man.

Truly praising God must be in actions of the life lived, not words given in public for self-glorification. It must be given through the sacrifice of selfish earthly desires and teachings that belie any praise given only through that lip service.

Praising God takes the courage of conviction to stand and praise Him and His ways when others deny Him and those ways choosing to praise men and sin instead.

The greatest praise given God was and is the praise given by and through His Son, both as he knelt to pray that God’s will be done despite the knowledge of the pain to come as he was crucified, and through the continuing intercession given for mankind because of that crucifixion that allows man to actually be the creature intended and give the praise intended because of both.

Praise cannot be given without redemption. Redemption is not obtained without repentance and truly seeking to live outside the confines of sin that otherwise make that praise mere lip service.

Praise may not be acceptable while honoring only the things that dishonor God, but must be through honoring what God accepts as honorable.

Failures occur, failures may be forgiven, but forgiven only when it is given through true repentance for those failures, instead of lip service and continuation of those failures, while seeking only the blessings of the flesh that are provided to keep that praise from God, giving it instead to the one providing those pleasures that make it impossible to either honor or praise God, and making it impossible to find the required repentance that leads to His love, instead of His condemnation of  both nations and individuals.

I close in prayer for the same thing requested in this short passage of scripture quoted.

“Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.”

Let that praise be true and let it be freely given with the expectation of true blessings to be given only when worship is given in SPIRIT and in TRUTH.

I remain that same simple sinner saved by graced through faith in that truth seeking to give that praise only to my God and only through my Savior. I remain only an unworthy soldier in that seeking to make my praise worthy, and true while doing what is required of me. 

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

           Amen and Amen

the Wayfarer