Psalm 30:12

Psalm 30:12  

True and fake praise     

True praise comes from the heart. It’s all very well singing our favourite songs and enjoying the musical accompaniment but unless something stirs deep within or the words and emotions are genuine, then it is not praise. When my heart praises my lips can join in. Silent lips can sometimes testify to a silent heart and vice versa. Notice that when you put verses 11 and 12 together here, the initiator of praise is God Himself. He is the One who turned David’s wailing to dancing, He is the One who removed the sackcloth and replaced it with joy. To put it simply, our praise is our reaction to what God has done and is doing, it is not something we (literally) put on! It is impossible to praise if we have no appreciation of the One we are praising and His interaction with us. True praise is simply saying “Thank You”, it is a heart-driven response of glad appreciation for what the Lord has done for us and in us. Let us be people of genuine praise not fake praise, not manufactured praise, not man-inspired praise but heaven-inspired praise. Then we can genuinely say, “Lord my God, I will praise You forever.”

 

Thank You Lord for everything that You are, for all that You have done. Thank You for Your mighty works. Thank You that You have reached down to me and filled me with Your joy. I praise You. I praise You for deliverance from the pit, for overcoming my enemies, for bringing me into Your family, for introducing me to Your Son, Jesus Christ. I praise You for Your Holy Spirit, for the Scriptures, for the unique person that I am in Your sight. I will praise You forever and ever. Hallelujah!

 

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