I reckon folks out on the Chisholm Trail can have feelin’s the same as when they’re home safe an’ sound. Mebbe stronger an’ deeper an’ better feelin’s.”
–Zane Grey (The Trail Driver)
“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”
–1 John 3:2 (NASB)
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Charles H. Spurgeon said that, “Praise is the rehearsal of our eternal song.” Praise is an act of the will and because of that it is something that we choose to do. We should be praising and thanking and as Lawson says, “practicing the greatness of God” throughout the day. Lawson continues to say, “The chief purpose of the believers, both now and throughout the ages, is the pursuit of the glory of God.” Psalm 145 is the last of the psalms attributed to David and he ends his writing with praise.
1 — I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever.
2 — Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever.
3 — Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.
4 — One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.
5 — I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works.
6 — Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness.
7 — They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness. (NKJV)
In praising God we actually do nothing to make Him bigger; there is nothing we can do to increase His size, His majesty, or His glory. What happens is as George Wood says, “When you praise and extol the Lord, you are changing the size of God in you.” Adoring the Lord, extolling His attributes and recognizing them, magnifying His glorious name “should be the constant delight of our souls, the endless theme of our hearts.” (Lawson)
“How big is God?” the words of the song render forth. The real question is how big is He within your heart and soul. How much do you and I limit Him, and by praising Him we open His greatness to our souls. What is our view of God? This comes forth in our praise–limit our praise, we limit our perspective and expectation of God. We praise God’s name, meaning His holy character. When we think of who God is, it is overwhelming and it should bring us to praise in awe. I hesitate to use the term “awesome” when I speak about someone or with someone. To me, there is little in this world that is awesome. Some become flippant with this term, I think it is worthy of only the extraordinary event, performance, or person. God is awesome!
How often and when do we praise Him? Everyday, all day long. We start now, at this point in our lives and it will continue throughout eternity. Praise Him in His attributes, both natural and moral. Praise Him for His love, devotion, and faithfulness. Praise Him for His mighty deeds in history, and then do not forget Him for what He has done in your life both great and small. See, praise helps us become grateful people.
David writes that we should meditate on His splendor, “meaning the sum total of His divine attributes and actions.” (Lawson) Henry Cowles states, “These qualities of God’s character and deeds should not merely be talked about and extolled in song but be deeply pondered and laid close upon our heart, so that the impression may be wrought into our very soul and may mold our whole spirit and character into God’s own image.” Remember when we praise we open our hearts to Him. We begin to see Him as He really is, in splendor, majesty, and glory.
How is His image expressed from your soul? How is His image impressed on your heart? Has His splendor spilled over into your life? When we begin to praise Him, we can truly pray the words of T.O. Chisholm’s hymn, “Stamp thine own image deep on my heart.” We can render forth in praise–God is good!
“Our souls, we know, when He appears,
Shall bear His image bright;
For all His glory full disclosed
Shall open to our sight.”
–Isaac Watts