Praise!

Praise!

From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised. Psalms 113:3 KJV

In reading today's extract, a picture comes to mind: whether you consider the rising of the sun from the east and its setting in the west, or you consider the break of a new day as the sun rises and the end of the day as the sun sets, there is one thing God demands of all who know who He is: praise.  As I rise up early in the morning, the first thing God would expect from me, if I truly know what I have received, is praise and gratitude. As the sun sets, I reflect on all that has happened, and no matter how 'bad' they may have been, I go to sleep with the assurance that tomorrow is another day for God to show himself strong in my life.

God has already established that as long as the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, day and night will never cease. This means that it is not given to me to control the season, but I can control my reaction to whatever the season brings my way. The one who wrote this psalm didn't have it all good, but he had determined that as long as God gave him breath, God would be praised. It wasn't dependent on the stars being aligned or everything being in place; it was about knowing the God who deserves all this praise and giving Him his due.

So, all around the world, no matter the state of the sun and the moon, the events of the day or night, irrespective of circumstances or location, or the state of the economy or the wallet, praise is the natural outflow of a life that is aware of all it has received and what it did not deserve. Praise tells God I am grateful for ALL I have and am; praise tells God I know He is all I need; praise says I am privileged to be alive to even offer all I can. What's your life saying at the moment? Does God stand a chance with you? Does He have your heart, or does He have to share praise with other people? His time of favour is here.