The Bible promises:
Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God,
and keep the vows you made to the Most High.
Then call on me when you are in trouble,
and I will rescue you,
and you will give me glory.” Psalm 50:14-15 (New Living Translation)
And Nehemiah pointed out:
Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 (New International Version)
Joy and praise are part of the same coin. You can’t really praise God without joy, and when you have joy, it’s easy to praise.
I really wonder if David wrote Psalm 34 before or after this event at Ziklag. God had delivered him many times before this, and even more after it. But wouldn’t it be amazing to sing this song when your friends are ready to stone you?
I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
I sought the LORD, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:1-4 (New King James Version)
“Magnify” means “to make bigger” – that’s not to say we make God bigger, how can we? It means in our estimation, God is bigger than our problem, the name of Jesus is superior to every other name.
Praise does this. And praising God means we must have joy and His joy is our strength.
Strengthen yourself in the Lord through joy with praise. It’s a choice we all can make.
Love to hear your example of how it’s helped you.
Great post keep it up.