King David was a worshipper. As part of his daily worship, he would praise God on the harp. But not only did he praise God, he sung unto the Lord with thanksgiving and gratitude. Psalm 147:7 says: “Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God” The EHV Bible says it this way: “Respond to the Lord with thanksgiving”. So as part of our praise, we should respond to the Lord with gratitude and thanksgiving. This pleases God’s heart and is part of REAL worship and praise! Many people in churches today enjoy the worship experience, but they are not really praising God. They are just singing along as part of the group experience. They are not grateful to God, nor do they offer thanksgiving to God. Jesus once said in Matthew 15:8: :These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me”. Wow, that is very revealing. My question to you is: Are you daily praising God with a grateful heart? Are you mixing your daily praise with genuine thanksgiving? Our Lord Jesus knows our hearts, and gratitude and thanksgiving pleases HIm. What does God see when your praise goes up to His Presence?
What are you magnifying?
I love praising God with his people in the Sunday services. There is something precious about that corporate time. However, David, who was a worshipper, took it to another level. Not only did he praise God continually, he was also very thankful for all that God did for him and his people. Psalm 69:30 says:”I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving”. Many people go to church from time to time and even sing along with the choir or the worship team. But not every “praiser” is thankful. Many continually complain about their lives, and never recognize God’s goodness which is all around them. They are so busy focusing on what they do not possess, that they miss what God has done for them. The word magnify means:” to cause to be held in greater esteem or respect; to increase in significance; to enlarge in fact or in appearance”. Are you holding your problem in greater esteem.? Are you causing your problems and issues to increase in significance? Are you enlarging the negatives around you? David continuously held God in greater esteem. For David, God’s goodness was more significant that any problem or issue. He enlarged God’s goodness and kindness with his praises, testimonies and thanksgiving. Make an assessment today. What are you “magnifying” in your life and actions? Selah.
