Psalm 112:1-3
Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments.
His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches will be in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.
Reading through this Psalm today it struck me that the first words the Psalmist writes to begin speaking about a blessed life is Praise The Lord. A blessed life begins with a relationship with God, knowing God intimately and out of that relationship comes a heart of thankfulness and praise.
Pastor Brian Houston of Hillsongs Church in Australia says that "the bible teaches us that a heart that is thankful to God is a worshiping heart. Worship in not a ritual or an obligation. It is not just songs at the beginning of a corporate church service. Worship is a heart response of gratitude and honor to God - wherever you are and whatever you are doing."
There are times in our lives when we go through struggles and when God may seem distant to us. But the bible teaches us that God never leaves us or forsakes us. Deuteronomy 31:6 says "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid of terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. It's in those times of struggle that WE need to work harder at drawing near to Him. He is always there waiting for us. One of the best ways I know to draw near to Him is to praise Him. To sing songs of praise and pray out load declaring all of the blessings God has poured out on your life. Praise opens a door for us to God's throne, and the more we humble ourselves and honor Him, the more we will once again sense His presence in our lives.
A blessed life begins with a life that praises God. What an honor an privilege we have to draw people to God and towards the blessed life He has for them by being examples of a live that praises Him.
