WORTHY OF PRAISE (02-26-13)

Sirach 51:12-13

I thank the LORD and I praise him; I bless the name of the LORD.  When I was young and innocent, I sought wisdom openly in my prayer…

“To praise”, by definition, means “to extol or exalt or even worship a hero, a ruler or a deity. 

But the Lord God is more than a hero or a ruler or a deity.  He is our Father, our Lord, our King, our Salvation.  If there is an act more powerful than just praising Him, then He is more than worthy to receive that. 

But, He is also a humble God - God was so humble that He became a man! He, the LORD of everything stepped down from His glory and took the form of a modest servant – dying for our sins and assuring our salvation.

Praising God starts in our hearts, “and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5).

Then, praise Him continuously through prayers and songs, “I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalms 34:1).

Then, together with our loved ones, give Him glory and praise, “I will tell of thy name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation I will praise thee” (Psalms 22:22).

And we praise Him, forever and ever, “Praise the LORD!  Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD!  Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore!  From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the LORD is to be praised!” (Psalms 113:1-3).

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, we praise You forever.  To you we do lift up our hearts, our souls, our voices! It is only in You that we trust.  Give us the strength and courage to be obedient to Your Truth and Your teaching.  And You are our hope, today and tomorrow.  In You and You alone do we trust.  Amen +

The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.