Pass it On - The Measureless Grace of God

Thursday, November 30, 2023

Then Peter approached him and asked, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times?” “I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven.” Matthew 18:21-22

Pass It On - The Measureless Grace of God

When we have been hurt by the actions of someone else, it is a tricky situation to navigate through so that we deal with it in a way that glorifies Christ. Peter asks Jesus one day about how many times he was supposed to forgive someone who has hurt him. Peter guesses seven times but Jesus lets him know that the number is much greater. Jesus then goes on to tell Peter and the disciples a story about a servant who owed an enormous debt – ten thousand pounds, equivalent to several millions of dollars. The servant’s lord forgave him the debt. Free from the overwhelming and impossible debt he had, the servant sought out another servant who owed him a debt, much smaller than the one he had been forgiven. He had no intention of forgiving the other servant the debt he owed him even though he had just been forgiven an overwhelming debt that he would never be able to pay.

Jesus was answering Peter by explaining that we should forgive as we have been forgiven. The first servant had been forgiven all, and he then should have forgiven all. As children of God by faith through Christ, we have had all sins forgiven. When someone offends or sins against us we should be willing to forgive because of the grace and forgiveness we have been given through Jesus Christ – for an overwhelming debt we could never pay. When Jesus told Peter that he should forgive 70 times 7, He didn’t mean we should limit the times we forgive someone to a number at all. We are called to forgive with as much grace the thousandth time as Jesus does for us every time – with an abundant, overflowing and measureless grace that God pours out on us every time. 

We are to live out our faith in every situation for the glory of God, which also means to forgive as you have been forgiven. Forgiveness does not depend on the actions of the other person. Reconciliation depends on the actions of the other person, but forgiveness is about you and happens in your heart. Forgiveness can happen even if the offending person is not repentant or has not asked for forgiveness. Forgiving is the barrier to resentment and bitterness. By forgiving, we let go of the wrong, not holding it over that person. When we let go of the wrong, we let go of the root of bitterness and resentment. 

The only response to wrong that the Word of God commands the Christian to is love.  There is no right to judge, condemn, criticize or hate.  This requires more than a human understanding or response. Forgiveness is not an option for the believer. We are to forgive others as we have been forgiven.  For most of us (all of us if we will admit it), that’s a whole lot of forgiveness. Understanding forgiveness doesn’t make it easier to forgive, but it does make it more meaningful and understanding the process could make us more likely to offer the forgiveness we are commanded to give.

Overlooking a transgression is to look beyond the transgression as well as the transgressor. It is the power of God working in us that enables us to look beyond. As we forgive, we bring glory to God ... we are never more like God than when we show mercy and grace and forgiveness. Jesus modeled grace and forgiveness when He was on earth and on the cross, He displayed the greatest act of grace and forgives of all time. Without that forgiveness from Jesus, we could not forgive anyone. His grace and forgiveness in our lives is the only way it possible for us to forgive others. 

God calls us to forgive – 70 times 7. Over the span of our lifetime, God forgives us many more times than that. Forgiveness is one of the greatest ways we live out our faith and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If we only ever study the Bible and don’t live out the Gospel with our lives, we are just reading a book. God’s intention for us is that we are transformed by the Gospel and a relationship with Him, and we then take that to the rest of the world, living it out with our lives to the people around us every day. 

Forgiveness: God's Way to Freedom

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Be angry but do not sin.  do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. …  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:26-27;31-32

Forgiveness: God's Way to Freedom

Forgiveness can be hard, especially when we have been hurt deeply by someone. We can justify not forgiving and even believe that we have the right to not forgive and to hold onto resentment against the one who has offended us. God calls us not only to forgive, but to be open to reconciliation when true repentance is evident.  

It is easy to let momentary grievances against us cause long-term problems.  Unforgiven offences give Satan an opportunity in our lives.  The word opportunity means a small area of occupancy and jurisdiction.  When Satan gains a place in the soul he keeps us in bondage directing us to act from a corrupt center in our lives.  Our speech and actions are affected. 

We can forgive because we have been forgiven. The foundation for forgiveness is a life lived for Jesus. His forgiveness of us lays the foundation on which we can forgive others. The key to forgiveness is to focus on what God has done for you. As God forgave us (freely, undeserving) we are to forgive those who have hurt us.  The first step to freedom from bitterness is to let God forgive you; confess your own bitterness; your selfish actions, hateful speech, carnal living. Next, agree with God that your feelings of bitterness, wrath, malice, etc. have no place in your life as a Christian. Then, thank God for the blood of Christ that cleanses you from your sin. 

You will now be free to forgive your offenders and pull the root of bitterness from your heart.  As an act of your will in faith before God, release them from any obligation to make things right and extend to them the same grace God has given you.  Finally, ask God to take possession of the place in your soul that Satan claimed as his own.  When you cease to grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption (v30), He will assume His place in the center of your heart and replace all of the anger, bitterness, malice and slander with love.  Now that is a good exchange!

 

On Forgiving Others (When You Don’t Want to)

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

Then Peter approached him and asked, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times?” “I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21-22 

On Forgiving Others (When You Don’t Want to)

Forgiving is love’s toughest work and love’s biggest risk. It can be especially tricky when we are not ready to forgive, or someone has hurt us so badly we cannot do it. Not forgiving someone who has wronged us or hurt us can lead to a life of agony and bitterness, not for them, but for us.  Dealing with the hurt and anger you may feel deep inside is necessary in order for true forgiveness to happen.  

 

When others hurt us in some way, either intentionally or accidentally, we can become bitter which makes it ever harder to forgive.  When you have someone close to you, like a family member, that continually hurts you over and over, it seems impossible.  Peter asked Jesus, How many times do I have to forgive someone?  It is really hard to forgive those who have betrayed us more than once, but that is what Jesus said to do.  Jesus’ response to Peter was 70x7.  That is 490 times to be exact – that’s a lot of forgiveness! 

There were two things Jesus wanted Peter to think about in response to his question:

 

How many times would you want grace? How many times would you want forgiveness?  

I know I don’t ever want to find myself out of the grace of God.  Thankfully, His grace never runs out.  His grace and forgiveness are never ending and no matter how many times we fail Him, He always welcomes us back with open arms. He expects us to have that same forgiveness with others, even the hardest people in our lives. You may be the only picture of grace and forgiveness they have ever seen.  

 

Unforgiveness turns to bitterness and resentfulness, and bitterness and resentfulness steal the joy and peace from our lives. Although someone may have hurt us, it is our own bitterness that causes the ongoing pain.  Forgiveness brings healing.  Chances are you are the only one suffering, or at least you are suffering way more. Unforgiveness bears a weight that crushes and imprisons us.  

Forgiveness is not contingent on the other person’s behavior or repentance. Forgiveness is about us and our own hearts. Not forgiving someone and harboring bitterness is not worth the negative impact it has on us.  We are not hurting the other person near as much as we are hurting ourselves, if at all. Forgiveness frees the other person, but it also frees us from being held prisoner of bitterness, hardness, and even hate. It frees us to feel grace on this side. It frees us to have the joy in life that Christ intended us to have. It frees us to allow Christ to be Christ.  He is Lord. He is over all – including all wrongs that have been done to us. Let them go and give them to Him where they belong and release yourself by forgiving them. Find freedom and joy again.   

Living a Christian Life – 1 Peter 2

Monday, November 27, 2023

Living a Christian Life – 1 Peter 2 Submitted by Kay Crumley

I find I need reminders about what I need to consume.  Last week was Thanksgiving.  I truly look forward to this holiday, at least in part, because I enjoy the traditional meal of turkey and dressing.  However, when I got into bed last evening, I realized I had over indulged and had a difficult time going to sleep.  What we eat and how much we consume is important.  Peter wrote to the Jewish believers as well as Gentile believers who had been displaced by the persecution of Christians.  He was reminding them of who they are in Christ and what Christian living means.  He opens Chapter 2 with a conclusion to his teaching in Chapter 1 of how to grow in their faith.    

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.   Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. v 1-2

In verses 1-3 he lists some things to get out of our lives, malice -the intention to do evil, deceit – intentional misleading, hypocrisy – failure to live up to your beliefs, envy – jealousy, and slander – derogatory statement to harm another person.  That’s a fairly good list of behaviors and attitudes we should rid ourselves of to live as believers.  Our modern term for that may be transparency.  Are we truly exhibiting the heart of Christ to those around us, all the time?  Do we have different “faces or clothing” we wear when in church from when at work or in social settings?  Peter says to get rid of the things of the world and to always be genuine in our Christian beliefs.  How do we achieve that?  He says to crave pure spiritual milk.  Like babies we should cry out for the spiritual food from His Word.  Infants let us know when they are hungry but will only eat enough to be satisfied, not overindulge.   We should desire to learn from His Word taking in as much as we are able to understand at one time. That is how we grow in Him as we comprehend and apply His Word.  We become mature believers and can feast on His teaching in larger, more substantial amounts as we grow to maturity.  We no longer need just the milk but can benefit from the meat of spiritual teaching.  Why? Because the Lord is Good!   

Peter goes on in the next verses reminding his readers of Old Testament prophecy of who Jesus, the promised Messiah, the living Cornerstone is to the Church.  Jesus was raised from death to be the Cornerstone of the church He established by paying the price of our sins on the cross.  We are to fit together like a building, all the stones fitting tightly into one stable, secure building to bring glory to Him.  He describes who we are in Christ in verses 9-10. 

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. v 9-10

We are a ‘chosen people’ or race.  Jesus provided spiritual life to all believers so that all believers are children of God, one people or race. We are a ‘royal priesthood’ or holy priesthood.  We no longer need an intermediary to talk to God.  We have direct access to God the Father through Jesus the Son.  We are a ‘holy nation’, or a people set apart.  We cannot avoid praising Him for the change He has brought into our lives.  We are not perfect, but we are His special possession because of Whose we are.  This new identity we have in Him brings us out of the darkness of sinful living into the light if His love.  We are to demonstrate that new life because we are free from the chains of sin. We must share His love because of the mercy, forgiveness, we’ve received from Him.   

What will the result of living this way bring?  Peter answers that in verses 11-12.   

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.  Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. v 11-12

The readers of this letter were living in a foreign land as exiles because of the persecution of believers, Christians, or people of the Way.  Peter is commanding them to be different, not to conform to the sinful behaviors of people in their society.  They, as are we, were to live moral lives which makes them unique.  Our righteous lifestyle is one that can only be explain by the presence of God in our lives so that He is glorified.  We must be consistent in our Christlike life so that we are known by our love for those we come in contact with.    

Verses 13-23 teaches that we are to submit to worldly authorities and why.  We are to respect everyone, love fellow believers, and honor leaders and bosses. If we suffer for doing good that is pleasing to God.  Remember, Jesus suffered for us, but He never sinned.  He set the example. 

How can we be different, stand out in the crowd?  We can do that because of what Jesus has done for us.  He makes that possible as we mature spiritually. The reminder of His sacrifice and provision is found in verses 24-25. 

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”  For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. v 24-25

He ‘bore our sins’.  We are sinners because we have a sin nature.  Jesus died because of our sins but also for our sins.  He had paid the price for every sin we have committed or will commit.  He provided a way for us to have healing eternally and spiritually.  If we rid ourselves of pride and selfishness, we can admit wrongdoing and heal relationships with others.  He is the overseer, the shepherd, of our souls.  He governs and guides us so that we can live to please God.   

Today, I am reducing the food intake so that I can sleep more comfortably.  Just as we need to be conscious of our physical food consumption, we must diligently monitor our spiritual food consumption.  Are we still, like baby Christians, only wanting milk of the Word or have we matured to dig deeper into His Word to learn what He needs to do to guide our hearts and govern our behaviors so that we can live in a way that is pleasing to Him?   

The Main Thing “The Heart of the Matter”

The Main Thing 

“The Heart of the Matter”
Philemon 1-25 (CSB)

Key Truth: “Jesus is the beginning, middle, and end of life.” 

Main Question: How should forgiveness become a central aspect of Christian character and action toward others? 

 

1.    The foundation for forgiveness. (vs. 1-7)

2.    The need for forgiveness. (vs. 8-16)

3.    The act of forgiveness. (vs. 17-25)

After the Message: 
Read Philemon 1-25. What outstanding debt does someone owe you? How have you activated faith and love in response to that debt? How can the attitude and the action of forgiveness begin to typify how you live your life with Jesus as the main thing?

 

Living in Surrender and Gratitude

 Friday, November 24, 2023

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Living in Surrender and Gratitude by Lara Cook

Selective thanksgiving is something we all have done possibly without realizing it.  We are thankful for what we see as beneficial to our life and health, we are thankful for what we like and the prayers that are answered the way we think they should be answered. True thankfulness is not merely acknowledging what we see as good, but knowing that He is good and everything He gives is good, and that means even giving thanks for some hard things.  

In Luke 22:19 Jesus shows us the way to give thanks.  He is about to be crucified and He knows it – not the circumstances most would feel thankful for, yet He was thankful for the grace and glory that was to result form the cross.    And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”  The Greek word for “thanks” in this verse is eucharisteo.  Ann Voskamp explains this word beautifully:

The root word of eucharisteo is charis, meaning “grace.” Jesus took the bread and saw it as grace and gave thanks. He took the bread and knew it to be a gift and gave thanks. Eucharisteo, thanksgiving, envelopes the Greek word for grace, charis. But it also holds its derivative, the Greek word chara, meaning “joy.” Charis. Grace. Eucharisteo. Thanksgiving. Chara. Joy.

When we give God thanks for the gifts He gives, He gives another gift back to us – joy. When we can be grateful and joyful in every circumstance, we see things differently.  Our perspective changes, and Thanksgiving becomes not just a day, but a way of life. That means that we don’t have to wait for things to change or get better or search endlessly for  joy.  It is here and now, in every circumstance, when we can give thanksgiving to God.   

A heart of gratitude will be a content heart.  Pain, gratitude, and contentment can actually co-exist even though it may not be our favorite trio of feelings.  Being thankful in all things certainly doesn’t mean we are thankful for the circumstances we are in. It means that – in spite of the circumstances we are thankful because we know and understand who God is.  Ann Voskamp also said Thanksgiving is the one thing God asks to be done in everything and always…He knows what precedes the miracle.  In every circumstance God is at work for some purpose.  It may simply be for us to learn to be thankful in everything.  Or it may be that this circumstance you are in right now is a tiny piece of the miracle He has ahead in your life.  Until we can be thankful in each circumstance – or piece of the miracle - we cannot see the next piece. Every little piece makes the whole and its all important. 

Help your children to understand this life-giving principle.  All we have, we have because of Him and we need to model gratitude to God for everything, and in every circumstance.  We are our children’s first perception of God.  We need to show our kids an attitude of gratitude in good times and bad. 

This week as we celebrate Thanksgiving, remember these three words, grace, thanksgiving, and joy.  Eucharisteo. Jesus is the only way we are able to give thanksgiving at all times and in all circumstances. Through Him we live a life of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving to Him because of who He is and that everything from Him is good, whether heavy or light, will bring us the joy we so desperately need.  

Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:20

Praise Him in Song

Thursday, November 23, 2023

Praise Him in Song Submitted by Kay Crumley

The Hebrew words in this devotional are about praise using our voices and musical instruments.  We are to worship Him with joyful songs of praise. Our joy is in Him, not defined by circumstances. Joy is an attitude of the heart determined by confidence in God. To find that kind of attitude we must spend time in a relationship with Him. Real, genuine joy is a byproduct of having a strong and intimate relationship with Christ. When I am joyful, I sing, at least in my mind, as I go about my daily business.  Scripture teaches us to use our voices as well as instruments to express our joy and thanksgiving.   

 

Zamar – music to express joy, singing and playing instruments.  An example is to celebrate in song and music extending our hands in praise and thanksgiving. 

Psalm 150 

³Praise him with trumpet sound; 
    praise him with lute and harp! 
⁴Praise him with tambourine and dance; 
    praise him with strings and pipe! 
⁵Praise him with sounding cymbals; 
    praise him with loud clashing cymbals! 
⁶Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! 

Praise the Lord! 

This passage lists at least seven different musical instruments to use to praise the Lord. Then add to that orchestra dancing and singing.  That is an expression of praise I would love to be a part of.  This is the final chapter of Psalms.  He is calling us to praise Him with all we have.  The first two verses tell us to praise Him in His sanctuary, in His might heavens for His mighty deeds and His excellent greatness.  No instrument or voice is to be quiet but to sing Hallelujah to His Holy name.   

 

Paul, in this passage, is encouraging the church to be imitators of Christ because of His sacrifice for us.  He lists things we are to avoid being a part of and tells us to walk in the light rather than in darkness.  He concludes that with these verses.  We do not need to be drunk to have the freedom to celebrate. 

Ephesians 5 

¹⁸And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, ²⁰giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. 

Instead, we are to be filled with His Spirit, be under His influence.  Then we can gather with other believers in celebration of Whose we are.  We are to sing to the Lord thanking Him for everything He is, has done, and will do.  Then we are to submit to serving one another in Godly love.  Worship must become a lifestyle and regularly fill our tanks and the tanks of others with a Godly perspective. We are to be filled with the Spirit, not some cheap substitute. 

 

Halal – praise Yaweh, used 165 times in the Old Testament.  An example of that word paints a picture of a bright flashing praise that draws everyone's attention. It is the root word for Hallelujah.  

David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem in a way that honored God and he was celebrating that move. 

2 Sam 6:14-15 And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn. 

Dressed as a priest, rather than the king that he was, David honored the God that he served rather than the people who called him king.  He worshiped God with abandon, whole heartedly. 

Now we see David, in Psalm 109, pleading with God to intervene as he is under attack from wicked people.  He wants his enemies to know that God will be his deliverer so that God will receive the glory. Even before he has been rescued, he confidently ends with this praise of thanksgiving. 

Psalm 109:30 With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord; 
    I will praise him in the midst of the throng. 

David is boasting in the assurance that his God will intervene.  He knows God’s character and in sure of help in his time of need. We can have the same confidence in Him because His promises are true. 

 

Tehillah – glory or hymn of song of praise, used 57 times, half of those in Psalm. Examples of this kind of praise would include singing to the Lord with extended hands. 

In Psalm 40, David had been rescued from the “miry pit” and God had placed his feet on the rock, on solid ground.  David had cried out to God and He answered.  Now, in verse 3, he has a new song, a new praise to offer to God his redeemer. 

Psalm 40:3 He put a new song in my mouth, 
    a song of praise to our God. 
Many will see and fear, 
    and put their trust in the Lord. 

He is confirming that God was the one who provided victory and He alone deserves the recognition and praise.  That should result in others trusting in God and thus bringing glory to Him alone.  We must look for the hand of God as He hears and answers our prayers so that we can praise Him and share His faithfulness to others as we glorify Him.   

 

Psalm 100:1-2 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! 
    Come into his presence with singing! 

We are to engage in our worship of God with a sense of excitement.  Worship is not just an intellectual experience but is filled with emotion as we respond to all the things He has done. We are to serve Him, to give back some of what He has given us in service to His kingdom.  Come to Him singing with exuberance for who He is, He is Creator, Sustainer, Healer, Provider, and Author of all creation.  How can we not praise and worship Him with a thankful heart.    

Positions of Praise

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Positions of Praise  - Submitted by Kay Crumley

While searching for sources for thanksgiving or praise verses for devotionals I came upon a list of 7 Hebrew words for praise.  I have divided the list and will share them in two devotionals.  I hope we will gain understanding of the “how” of praise in this study. 

Much like the word love in our language is used for many forms of love we have one word, praise, that has many variations in scripture.  I am finding that we are taught to praise God throughout the Bible but there are many Hebrew words translated to the one word - praise.   

These four words describe the attitude or posture we are to have when offering our praise or thanksgiving to God.  I have no training in languages so am no expert.  I am basing this information on research I have done online for the Hebrew words and their meaning as well as scriptural references that support the conclusions. 

Hebrew words for praise 

Towdah – thanksgiving offering of sacrifice that is pleasing to God, an audible thanks to God. An example of Towdah praise might be - My heart overflows with praise to God and for his promises. I will always trust in him. The Mosaic law set procedures to be followed for the Israelites to make thanksgiving sacrifices to God that would be pleasing to Him in Exodus 27 you can read about the construction of the bronze alter for burnt offerings. The Psalmist describes this kind of praise, the reason (to glorify God) and the results (God’s salvation).  

Psalm 50:23 The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God! 

We find in the New Testament that sacrifices of animals are no longer required but are replaced with those who have accepted His Lordship, become Christians, to offer ourselves as a sacrifice by giving ourselves to complete obedience to Him as Paul wrote in Romans. 

Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. We are called to make a choice to live for Him, that is possible only by the mercy with which the Holy Spirit works within us. 

Yadah – hands to God in Praise and Thanksgiving. An example is praise in which we raise our hands in an outburst of spontaneous gratitude for what God has done. Exodus 17 describes the Israelites becoming angry with Moses and wanting to return to Egypt because they didn’t have enough water.  Moses cried out to God who then provided water from a rock when Moses hit it with the staff that God used as evidence of His presence.  This followed a war with the Amalekites.  The Israelites fought them successfully as long as Moses held his hands up to God.   

Ex 17:11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed.  

We can apply that to our own lives today, as long as we are obedient and seeking God, we will be able to preserve within the battles we face.  We may not always see success, but we will always have God to see us through life’s battles.  

1 Tim 2:8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling. Paul, in his letter to Timothy, instructed that believers should pray to the One Savior who is the Savior of all men, both Jew and Gentile.  They should not quarrel among themselves but instead, in unity, lift their hands to God to offer His praise. 

 

Shabach – to raise a holy roar; testimony from one generation to another.  The example is for one generation to praise (shabach)Your works to another, and our lips shall cry out Your mighty acts.  

The writer of Psalm 47 opens with exhorting the people to ‘get rowdy’ for God.  This is written to the choirmaster.  

Ps 47:1 Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! 

He follows with listing reasons why to shout praises to God.  God is the Most High, feared by all kings of the earth because He had subdued them in battle.  He loves His chosen people.   

Isa 12:6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah listed many reasons that we should praise the Lord in songs of joy.  He is our strength, our defense, and the Lord of our salvation.  He alone is worthy of our praise. 

Barak – to kneel, to bless, to be blessed. An example of this kind of praise it to place special authority and respect on someone else. This is how David spoke to the Lord when he sang, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name (Psalms 103:1)."  

When Moses came face to face with God on the mountain and told that He is full of grace and mercy, abounding in love, and faithfulness there was only one thing Moses could do.    

Ex 34:8 And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. 

While we don’t come face to face with God in the physical sense, we do have His Holy Spirit living in us.  Is that not reason to feel as Moses did, overcome with humility and praise for our awesome God? 

David wrote this poem to be sung, for the choirmaster.  He listed the characteristics of God, that He hears our prayers and hates sin.  Because of God’s steadfast love, David, like Moses, has no other option but to bow before Him in praise and fear.   

Psalm 5:7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. 
I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you. 

Do we have that great reverence for our righteous and merciful God that leaves us no other option but to bow before Him in worship?   

 

Summary of ways to Praise Him 

Towdah – sacrifice of thanksgiving pleasing to God 

Yadah – lifting hands in Praise 

Shabach – shouts of praise, a holy roar 

Barak – bowing in humble thanksgiving/worship