Praise

I want you to picture two types of people:  The first person is the one that regardless of what their circumstances may be, seem to be happy.  They are joyful, bubbly, and a blessing to be around.

The second person is the one who regardless of what their circumstances may be, seem to be sad, and despondent.

They both are Christians, so, what seems to be the secret behind the joy of the first person I mentioned?

PRAISE.

Praise is mentioned at least 1,211 times in the Bible.  The word praise is mentioned thirteen times in Psalm 150 alone!

Webster defines praise as:  To express a favorable judgment of, to glorify God especially by the attribution of perfections, worship.

So let me ask you, can you praise God regardless of what you may be going through right now?  Can you still say, 'God is Good,' and keep on keeping on for His honor and glory?  And if not, why not?

"Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.  Let the high praises of God be in their mouth....."  Psalm 149:5,6a

There are so many reasons to praise the Lord.  If we concentrate on that, we will never have anything to complain about....

But that's just me!

"The Christian life that is joyless is a discredit to God and a disgrace to itself."  Maltbie D. Babcock

"Praise helps us realize that we, as Christians, can rise above our problems and lift our voices of praise in spite of any circumstances."  Kenneth W. Osbeck