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If you’ve remotely glanced at the book of Psalms, you know that praising God is a major theme.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise!
Psalm 100:4 NIV
Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises!
Psalm 47:6 NIV
Then you have a slam-bang finish with the psalm of all praise psalms, Psalm 150, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!”
Why would David, the author of roughly half the psalms, put such an emphasis on praising God? I think it’s because he knew that what we focus on determines our thoughts. And our thoughts determine the direction of our lives. What we look at is what we steer toward. Take Psalm 108:1-4 for example—
My heart is steadfast, O God!
I will sing and make melody with all my being!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
David was fixed on praising God. He was fixed on praising God not because he had his perfect wife or dream job, or never suffered, or because life always went his way. It was a choice he made. He said, “My heart is steadfast!” To be steadfast means to be firmly fixed in place, fixed in direction, unwavering, not shakeable. David was set on praising God and nothing would distract him from that. He said in verses 1-3,
“I will sing and make melody with all my being!
I will awake the dawn!
I will give thanks to You, O Lord!
I will sing praises to You among the nations.”
Why would David do this? Why would he praise God in spite of circumstances and weaknesses and struggles? And why should we? Take one more look at the end of the passage from Psalm 108 —
For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Why should we praise Him? Because His love and faithfulness will never fail us! Our circumstances will change but our God remains the same. His character is sure. His love is certain. His heart is for us and His plans are good! He is worthy of all praise and all glory! Therefore, I will praise Him!