PRAISE ISN'T PRAISE TILL YOU GIVE IT AWAY

PRAISE ISN’T PRAISE TILL YOU GIVE IT AWAY

There are some really foolish questions that people ask about God.

·        Can God create a rock so big that He cannot move it?

·        Can God create an object so small that He cannot see it?

·        Can God create a sandwich so big that He can’t eat it?

These questions have been used for years to try and confuse Christians who say that God is omnipotent.

I don’t want my question to you to be viewed in that light.  It’s not meant to confuse you but to enlighten you.

My question:  Can God receive a gift that is not offered?

In my study of Psalms, (which is just getting off the ground).  I have found that another reason David was a man after God’s own heart is that he was a man who constantly PRAISED God. 

David had problems and troubles both physically, relationally and spiritually, but he always, in all situations, Praised God.

If I asked you if you thought you praised God or even knew how to praise God most, if not all of you would answer in the affirmative. 

“Sure, I praise God all the time.  Oh, I may not praise him like you do, or I may not praise Him out loud, but I praise Him”.

I want to go over with you the words that David used in the book of Psalms that have been interrupted into the English language to mean PRAISE.  You know that the Hebrew language was much different from ours.  Many of their words have been combined into just one English word which is often confusing to us. 

It goes without saying that I am not a Hebrew scholar.  I have never studied the language.  I can’t speak good English, much less Hebrew.  But I have books that will do the work for me and I want to share that with you.

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Words for Praise in Psalms:

1.  Yadah  (yaw-daw):  to use the hands, extend the hands , an action word

You have seen this in churches.  You may have used it yourself.  A person might stand, or kneel, or even sit on the bench and as someone is singing, or the preacher says something that you agree with or can relate to, you raise your hand. 

Church of God folk raise both hands, Nazarenes raise one, and Baptist wouldn’t raise a hand if he were being robbed. 

2.  Tehhillaw :  laudation,  a hymn of praise  

This is something that is done in most churches.  The congregation might sing together or someone preforms a “special” song.

3.  Zamar (zaw-mar):  to strike with the fingers on an instrument/ play and sing

This word means to play an instrument (usually accompanied by singing) When someone plays a piano special or someone plays a trumpet, even when the offering is being taken or the pianist plays prior to service.

4.  Halal (haw-lal):  to make a show, to boast (foolishly), to rave, to celebrate,

To me, this brings to mind a football fan.  If you notice the people in the stands when the camera pans across the crowd, they look boastful (“we’re number one”), they are making a show (waving their big foam rubber fingers, or flags) and they are definitely celebrating.

5.  Shabach (shaw-bakh):  to address in a loud tone, commend loudly

I am reminded of old Bro. Johnny Banks who used to pastor Sylacauga First Church of The Nazarene.  He would sit in the congregation at camp meeting and when the speaker would say something that Johnny agreed with, he would slowly, but with a deep, booming voice, say “Glory be to God forever”.

Everyone in the place heard him.  He was commending what was said and doing it with a loud voice.

6.  towdah (to-daw):  A choir of worshipers, extending their hands as offering a sacrifice of praise

I love choirs.  I have had the privilege of leading several choirs.  What I remember about them is not their great singing ability but their heart for worship.

In Columbiana we took a page out of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir’s practice.  We would often gather around the altar to pray before we practiced.  It would turn into a prayer meeting.

I could look up into the choir while we were singing and I could see the tears in the eyes of the people.  I could see their hands raised.  Some wouldn’t even be singing, just praising God. 

God’s presence would come on the service and His glory would fall.  They offered their praise as a sacrifice to God. 

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So there you have it, David’s methods of Praising God.

1.  Raising your hands, outstretched toward God

2.  Singing

3. Playing an instrument

4.  Acting wild and crazy, celebrating

5.  Joining others in offering a sacrifice of praise to God

Notice that each is a “sacrifice”, something that you give or offer to God.  It might cost you something.  You might have to give up your self-consciousness, your comfort zone, your pride in how people look at you. 

I wonder if the way we praise God is a sacrifice at all.

Your first attempts at PRAISE might take a little thought and effort but I believe that when we learn to truly worship and praise, that our PRAISE will become natural and be an outward expression of what’s actually happening on the inside. 

What can’t God do?  He can’t receive a gift or accept a gift that you do not offer.

Let’s join DAVID in OFFERING our PRAISE to God.