Praising God

Because human nature wants to focus on troubles, feelings, or perhaps a shaky future, many people have a hard time praising God during difficult circumstances.

But it’s possible to rise above human nature—at least some of the time. While David was hiding from Saul, he learned to praise God while living under great duress. Before he became King he even hid among neighboring tribes where Saul wouldn’t find him. At one point he hid with King Achish of Gath—among the Philistines—and pretended insanity so the Philistines wouldn’t kill him!

The introduction to Psalm 34 gives us an example of David's words written during times of extreme duress. As a result, we have this psalm of praise: “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. . . . I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. . . . O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him . . . The Lord is nigh [near] unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. (Ps. 34:1,4,8,18 KJV)

Praise lifted David out of despair into the wonder and glory of his God.

Originally published February 13, 1987.
Picture: Greater Twin City area, 2009. Photo by Solveig.

The Eroded Areas

Frances Fenelon, a Frenchman who lived during the Reformation, compared Christian leaders to plateaus with gullies. Their spiritual life was inspirational—but they all had large eroded areas of sin they could not hide. He concluded this must be God’s plan—because if we saw others as perfect, we might admire them or become dependent on them. Then we would lose sight of God. Instead, when we see others as imperfect people, our hearts turn toward God.

Sinful human nature is painfully obvious whenever we look at people, even when we look at Biblical character in either the Old and New Testament. If we study their lives, we see they were not perfect. Regarding himself and others, Paul said, So then let no one boast in men . . . whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas. . . . (I Cor. 3:21a,22a ASB)

Paul referred to the wonder of God’s reality in sinful people when he wrote, But this precious treasure—this light and power that now shine within us—is held in a perishable container that is, in our weak bodies. Everyone can see that the glorious power within must be from God and is not our own. (IICor. 4:7 LB)

People are sinners with eroded areas. Only God is worthy of our complete admiration.

Originally published January 29, 1982.