Joy in Praise
I want to go back to verse 21 of Luke 10 today, let me read it: "At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth." (Luke 10:21)
If God the Father is joyful, and Jesus is joyful, and the disciples were joyful, and we are to be joyful, then the natural response to this godly joy is to praise God for giving it to us.
Joy always leads to praise! In fact Merlin Carothers, in his book Prison to Praise, teaches some valuable lessons on praising God through all things. Listen to his words: "I have come to believe that the prayer of praise is the highest form of communion with God, and one that always releases a great deal of power into our lives. Praising Him is not something we do because we feel good; rather it is an act of obedience. Often the prayer of praise is done in sheer teeth-gritting willpower; yet when we persist in it, somehow the power of God is released into us and into the situation. At first in a trickle perhaps, but later in a growing stream that finally floods us and washes away the old hurts and scars."
The Power of Praise
There is joy in praise. If you can learn to praise your way through the best and worst of times, you will find joy in the best and worst of times. If you can learn to lift up God's name in whatever circumstances you are facing, you will find joy in whatever circumstances you are facing. Praise and joy go hand in hand - there's really a sense in which you can't have one without the other.
Recently I read a story in an old Nazarene magazine about a lady names Gwladys Heap - a fine Christian lady who did many wonderful things for God. Her son was writing a tribute to her, in this article, and he said this which made me smile: "Mother, you used to rehearse your sermons over the kitchen sink. You also sang to the dishes. That troubled me, for you had a hard time keeping on tune. But I must confess that your heart was finely in tune with the anthems of heaven."
Hearts in Tune with Heaven
You see friends, praise is not about singing brilliantly or even in key. It's about a heart that is finely in tune with the anthems of heaven! A heart so in tune with the majesty of God that it overflows in real worship. Jesus, in His prayer in Luke 10, shows us such a heart! His words express a deep love for His Father, a deep admiration for God.
So I ask you - is your heart ringing in praise today? Are your prayers filled with the language of praise and worship?
The most joyful people, I believe, are those who praise their God through it all. I pray that you and I may be such people.
