Why Praise God?

Why should we praise God? Ever think about it? There was nobody who had an eternal perspective in the Old Testament than David. From Shepherd boy to General to King, he always looked beyond his present situation to the One True God.

In Psalm 116:1-3 David writes, "I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave [a] came upon me. I was overcome by trouble and sorrow."

This morning I sat in the living room of my friends, Eric and Paula Winter. The pastors and elders of our church were there as well. Just 24 hours earlier we had all received the devastating news that a CT Scan revealed cancer in Paula's colon and liver. She had no idea. And the medical prognosis is not good. But we prayed. We worshiped, and we called on the Lord. In my daily Bible reading was Psalm 116. David recounts his trouble and sorrow, but not to pity himself, but to show the greatness of God. We don't praise God because things go well. We praise God because he is good. We don't stop praising God when things go bad. We praise God because he is full of compassion. We don't praise God because it fills us up. We praise God because he delivered us from death. We praise him because he is God, he is Good, and his mercies are new every day. Please Join me in prayer for Paula's complete cancer-free recovery. I will close with the conclusion of David's Psalm. Read it and remember why we praise God.


Then I called on the name of the LORD :"O LORD, save me!"
The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.
The LORD protects the simple-hearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.
Be at rest once more, O my soul,for the LORD has been good to you.
For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
I believed; therefore I said, "I am greatly afflicted."
And in my dismay I said,"All men are liars."
How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.
I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains.
I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD.
I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
in the courts of the house of the LORD—in your midst, O Jerusalem.Praise the LORD.