Praise God
It is Thanksgiving Day here is Canada (where I am from), and I thought it would be beneficial to post some of my favourite verses on giving of thanks or praising God.
I had posted Psalm 100 in my Devotional on Sevens In Scripture (rewritten a couple of years later as Sevenfold Praise Part One and Sevenfold Praise Part Two), and have decided to include those observations here as well:
Psalms 100:1-5 A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations.
Seven Ways to Praise God:
1. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
2. Serve the LORD with gladness:
3. come before His presence with singing.
4. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
5. and into His courts with praise:
6. be thankful unto Him,
7. and bless His name.
Seven Reasons to Praise God that will never change if you are saved (so you can always praise Him!):
1. Know ye that the LORD He is God:
2. it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
3. we are His people,
4. and the sheep of His pasture.
5. For the LORD is good;
6. His mercy is everlasting;
7. and His truth endureth to all generations.
Seven times the phrase "be glad and rejoice" is used in the Bible:
1) Psalms 9:2 I will be glad and rejoice in Thee: I will sing praise to Thy name, O thou most High.
2) Psalms 31:7 I will be glad and rejoice in Thy mercy: for Thou hast considered my trouble; Thou hast known my soul in adversities;
3) Song of Solomon 1:4 Draw me, we will run after Thee: the king hath brought me into His chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in Thee, we will remember Thy love more than wine: the upright love Thee.
4) Isaiah 25:9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.
5) Joel 2:21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.
6) Zephaniah 3:14-15 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, He hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.
7) Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.
Psalms 103:1-5 A Psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. (Hm, seven things here as well! - if you count being crowned with lovingkindness and crowned with tender mercies as two things.)
It Is Well With My Soul
(Lyrics: H.G. Spafford; Music: Philip P. Bliss)
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Chorus:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
"Even so," it is well with my soul.
Are you thankful for God's blessings today? Can you say, with the hymnwriter, that it is well with your soul?
October 11th, 2004
Jerry Bouey
