We are commanded to praise God (Ps 150). We praise him for what he does for us but more especially, for who he is: God above all gods, King of kings and Lord of Lords, mighty God and creator. His love never fails and his mercy endures forever

If you look at the Hebrew words used to describe praising God, we are told to praise him with our voices (Ps 149), loudly, with passion and even wildly (Ps 109:30; Ps 150; Ezra 3:11). In Psalm 150 we read that: "everything that hath breath", should praise the Lord (Ps 150:6). We should praise God using all kinds of musical instruments and also with the dance (Ps 149; KJV). God says he takes pleasure in his people of praise (Ps 149).

Our praise should perhaps take a cue from God's expression of joy over us as given in Zephaniah. 3:17. Here, the meaning of the Hebrew words for joy, rejoice and singing encompass rejoicing over us with gladness, love, loud sounds and singing; dancing and spinning for joy with an indescribable intensity.

Praise comes from the heart (John 4:23). We should praise God at all times and in all circumstances (Ps 34:1). There is power in praise, because God is enthroned in the praises of his people (Ps 22:3). To be enthroned means that God comes and settles down in our presence. Praise ushers us into God’s presence (Ps 100:4). In his presence there is power to break every bondage that holds us, power to lift us up and open doors to set us free.

If you are down today, then praise God and he will lift you up.

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We serve an excellent God (Ps 8:1; Isa 12:5). God does all things in excellence. Just think of the splendor, detail and perfection of his creation that he prepared for us to enjoy (Gen 1:1-31). No detail was missed in his design for the tabernacle in which he dwelt with his people (Ex 26:1-37). As we read Leviticus we can see the excellence that God expected of his people in their festivals and sacrifices, their obedience; no animal with a blemish could be sacrificed before him (Lev 1:3).

How do we respond to a God of such excellence and love? We can only humble ourselves before him and give him our best; serve him in excellence and awesome fear and respect.

How can this be expressed in a practical way? We need to put him first in our lives and our time, not giving him our spare time at the end of the day. Serve him with excellence, whenever, wherever and however he prompts us. Our God is a jealous God and will not share us with others or other priorities (Ex 34:14).

Let his will be done in our lives as it is done in heaven (Matt 6:10) and remember, the most excellent way is love (1Cor 12:31-13:1); love for God and love for each other. God wants to show his “fullness” to the world through us; he wants to work, “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think”, in us (Eph 3:19-20; KJV); how can we; therefore, not love him and serve him with all we are?

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I love the story of the Samaritan woman in her encounter with Jesus at the well in Sychar (John 4:1-42). Jesus cut across social barriers (V 9), in love, to reach this woman. The Holy Spirit in Jesus revealed details of the woman’s background to him and so that he was able to get her attention (V17-18). This allowed him to show her the route to salvation (V26; Rom 10:9).

There is also a great contrast in these verses as well. The contrast of the natural mind of the non-Christian (the Samaritan woman) versus Jesus and the born-again Christian (v10-18). The woman only saw natural water but Jesus spoke of living water (v10 and 13-14) or the spiritual power of the word of God (Heb 4:12) to satisfy our spiritual thirst and transform us as children of God (v10 and 13-14).

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1Cor 2:14; KJV). The bible tells us we are “spirit, soul and body” (1Thess 5:23). It is our spirit that is born again or saved when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior ().  The Holy Spirit reveals God’s word to us, to our born-again spirit (our spiritual heart or conscience; John 14:25-26; 16:13). We call this revelation; its not just head knowledge but the word comes alive to us; it jumps off the page at us, we see its spiritual meaning.

We are told that God’s word: “is truth” and that: “the truth shall make you free” (John 17:17; 8:32). Free from what? Well, anything that holds you back from walking in the abundant life God has for you (John 10:10).

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When you ever get to feel down and discouraged remember some of the things God says to you and about you in his word:

As a Christian, if you have asked Christ in to your life as Lord and Savior, God says he has forgiven you (Col 1:14). He has given you a new spiritual heart in fellowship with him (John 3:3, 5-6; Ezek 36:26). You are a new creation in Christ Jesus, a species of being that never existed before (2 Cor 5:17). You are a child of God (John 1:12-13), seated in heavenly places with Christ (Eph 2:6); a joint heir with Jesus (Rom 8:17).

This all means you are in Christ and all he is and has is yours, now and forever. Jesus dwells in you as the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-18) and God’s word says that no evil force in this world is greater than the Holy Spirit that dwells in you (1 John 4:4). Jesus defeated satan and took all power and authority back from him (Col 2:15); you are victorious in Christ (1 Cor 15:57).

God loves you with a never-failing love, no matter what you have done or who you are (Rom 8:38-39); He will never leave you or forsake you (Heb 13:5). God says you are his workmanship, his work of art (Eph 2:10), designed for good works that he has for you (Eph 2:10).

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When the Egyptians pursued the children of Israel as they began their exodus to the promised land the Lord spoke to them through Moses. He told them not to fear but to stand still and see how God would save them (Ex 14:13). In verse 14 Moses said: "The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace" (KJV). In Deuteronomy we are told that God goes before us and fights for us (Deut 1:30).

I love the story of King Jehoshaphat and his defeat of the Ammonites. Jehoshaphat was a good king who loved God. He acknowledged his inability to defeat Ammon but he looked to God in prayer and fasting (2 Chron 20:12). God replied through His prophets: "the battle is not yours but God's" (v 15). Again, Israel did not have to fight; as they went out in praise and worship God defeated the enemy.

God never changes (Mal 3:6). In Isaiah 41:10 it says: "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." As we trust God and rest in him he fights our battles for us. “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Rom 8:37).

The Holy Spirit that dwells in us as Christians is mightier than any human or evil spiritual opposition that can come against us (1 John 4:4). We are victorious in Christ (1 Cor 15:57). If you face battles today look to God; He will show you the way out (1 Cor 10:13).

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