Are you affected by what is going on in the world? Is it getting you down? Know that God can bring transformation through praise. The question is, how does that work? How can the Lord help me out of the muck and the mire? The Lord has given us praise as a tool. It may not change our circumstance, but it will change how we deal with our circumstance.
God’s Word Lifts Us Up
Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. [1] When we are discouraged, we start to look down and depend on ourselves. As we look up to God and remember His word, He tells us who He is. He is my strength and shield. In tough times this is exactly what I need so that the darts of despair will be deflected. As He helps me, my joy returns, and I begin to praise Him for what He is doing. Wow! Be uplifted as you meditate on this verse.
Anna Encountered Baby Jesus and Began to Praise God
Luke 2:36 Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. 37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. 38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem. [2]
Anna’s response to meeting the baby Jesus was praise! The Lord gave Anna the amazing gift of seeing the Messiah even in her old age. She shared this good news with anyone who would listen, I can almost picture the smile on her face as she told one more person what she experienced.
Praise is Uplifting
Think how uplifted they were to hear such good news. How many people began to praise God when they heard the news? The Messiah was here! God has kept His promise and the long wait is over! Praising God is contagious in a good way.
Praising the Lord is uplifting. Psalm 146:2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath. [3]
We can praise the Lord no matter the circumstance: Psalm 34:1 I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. [4]
To hear more about transformation through praise, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/coming-of-messiah-blessing-over-jesus
[1] The New International Version. (2011). (Ps 28:7). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
[2-4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.