Praise, Part 2 — A ‘Time With God’ Devotion

Subscribe to the ‘Time With God’ Podcast

Transcript

Good morning. As we start this day, right, let’s start it with some time with God. Do you love God in your life? I know I do.

My faith is not just a set of beliefs. It’s not just a commitment to the Christian way of life. I love God. He is the most important personality in my life. And I hope He is for you too.

And you know when you love someone you want to spend time with them, you want to build your relationship with them. Christianity is not just about commitment to God. It’s about knowing God personally, building a deep, meaningful relationship with Him where He speaks, you respond, you speak, He responds – interactive dynamic in the Christian faith.

We’re talking this week about praise and want to read you one of the great Psalms of praise in the Bible, a Psalm that King David wrote so long ago, Psalm 24. He says:

The earth is the Lord’s and all it contains.

The world and those who dwell in it.

For he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.

Hope 103.2 is proudly supported by

Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord.

And who may stand in his holy place.

He’s asking the question who can get close to God.

Here’s his answer. He who has clean hands and a pure heart.

Your hands of course represent your actions and your heart represents your inner life. He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood and has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of His salvation. This is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek your face, even Jacob.

Well, the psalmist points out, if you want to get close to God, if you want to learn to praise God properly. You need to come to God with a clean life. Your actions and also your inner life, the things going on inside of you.

Now the fact is you cannot clean up your own life, right, but God can, but He doesn’t do it when you resist Him. You have to come to God and say, Lord, I’m struggling. I know you want to change my life, and I do too, you know I can’t, but I know you can change my life, and I am willing for you to change me. You see, that’s the key for you to be responsive to God. He will do His work in your heart.

And you need to put yourself in the place that invites Him and allows Him to do that. Spend time in His word each day. Open your Bible. Let Him speak to you. When He does, be responsive to Him. When you find yourself offending God, don’t hide from Him, but straight away ask for forgiveness.

Keep your life in tune with God. Then what will flow out of your life is praise, and that will flow because of this wonderful relationship you have with Him.

The psalmist goes on and says, Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may come in. Who is the King of Glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of Glory.

I’m John North.

To go deeper in your faith, visit AFCI.com.au.