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Praise and Thanksgiving
Andrea Lende • April 14, 2021
Psalm 50:23
Praise and Thanksgiving
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Praise-and-Thanksgiving-eut3lg
Psalm 50:23
“He who brings an offering of praise and thanksgiving honors and glorifies Me; and he who orders his way aright [who prepares the way that I may show him], to him I will demonstrate the salvation of God.”
Praise and thanksgiving honor God.
Praise and thanksgiving glorify God.
The psalmist writes that praise and thanksgiving are also offerings.
Sometimes we think of an offering as a gift.
Other times it is a sacrifice.
In times of financial lack, tithing is a sacrifice because we may not have the resources to cover our basic needs.
Similarly, thanksgiving and praise are sacrifices to the Lord when we are experiencing significant sadness, loss, pain, and distress.
However, our praise and thanksgiving given as an offering glorifies the Lord.
And glorifying the Lord is what we are here to do on this earth.
I love the next part of our verse, particularly the Amplified Bible’s interpretation of it.
“He who orders his way aright [who prepares the way that I may show him], to him I will demonstrate the salvation of God.”
I’ve read about ordering our ways aright in the past but didn’t really know what it meant.
I thought it meant I had to make my ways right.
However, I am unable to do that on my own.
The definition of ordering our steps aright is “who prepares the way that I may show him”.
The Lord will show us and lead us in the way He wants us to go.
He gives us the road map.
He gives us the directions.
We simply have to be obedient.
This is another task I am unable to do on my own.
The Lord will help us be obedient to Him, so we can follow the way He leads us.
And as we are open to His guidance, He will show us His salvation.
Our passage says He will demonstrate salvation for us.
Demonstrate is an active word.
It means He will actively participate in our salvation and be available to be called upon for all we need.
He is constantly delivering us from sin, destruction, and difficulty.
He is constantly bringing us into new levels of glory.
Today I choose to give thanks and praise to God and pray for a willing spirit to be led and guided by His Almighty hand.
May you find the Lord is worthy of your praise and thanksgiving and that He is delivering you from evil and destruction while leading you into new glory day by day.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me that my praise and thanksgiving glorify You. Thank You for showing me that sometimes my praise and thanksgiving will be a sacrifice, but it is a sacrifice to be made to You for all time. Help me remember all the things You have done for me and the miracles You have performed in my life. Help me praise You for all Your wonder and greatness regardless of my circumstances. You are God Almighty! You are God and Creator of all things beautiful! You are the God of the universe and God of my heart. Help me allow You to lead me into the life You have planned for me. Help me be obedient to You in all ways. Help me choose You over the world, Father. Keep my eyes on You. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you My child and will lead you and guide you in the way you should go.
Response: Thank You, Almighty God and Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.