Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD. Ps 150:6

God is worthy of all praise. He is worthy to be praised from all people and at all times. It is easiest to praise God when good things happen to us or our loved ones. But what about times when things don’t make sense, when we struggle, those times when suffering overwhelms, and life is not as sweet as in days gone by.  For many it may be difficult to press through the present pains and sufferings to praise God. We always have a reason to praise God and praise Him at all times. The scripture passage reminds us that “everything that hath breath…praise ye the LORD.” Praise Him as you breathe and with every breath. As precious is air to breathing so ought to be praise to God for sustaining life, especially in the dark times and in valleys. In the dark valley times, it can be difficult to even pray at all. It is during these times that the body of Christ is most known as others join in and help us pray when we cannot. So, when prayer is difficult and you can’t find words to pray, try praise. Pause, “be still” (Ps 46:10) and listen to your breath and be reminded “let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD.” Give Him thanks for the breath within our bodies, the air to breathe, the presence of mind to know and consider these things, for “every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights” (Jam 1:17). Expressing gratitude opens us to the Spirit of God by faith. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seem” (Heb 11;1). Praise to God actives hope. Hope in the LORD.  Dear friend, praise Him for who He is, for what He does, and praise Him for what He has done for you and for others. And when you can’t find words, just breathe. For our breathings are prayers to God (Lam 3:56). My friend, pause for a moment and listen quietly as you breathe. Notice the breaths you breathe and reflect the goodness of God at every breath. Then you can say with all your heart “let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD.” Father thank You for You love and the breathes I breathe. Help me that even the breaths that I breathe, praise You. For You are worthy of all praise. In the blessed and holy Name of Jesus. Amen.

Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou ordained strength because of Thine enemies, that Thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. Ps 8:2

The greatest thrill and excitement for me as a father was at the birth of my first child. After months of anticipation, to finally see her appearance and to hear her cry, my soul leaped within me. I will cherish that moment all the days of my life. I recall watching with amazement as life began to spring and spread throughout that infant body. Yet, with great awe and amazement, I recall the vision of her suckling mouth taking to her mother’s breast only moments from her mother’s womb. What strength from such a helpless child! God, in His magnificent wisdom, “ordained strength” in the “mouth of babes and sucklings” to sustain life from the first moment at birth. From that moment forward, the mother-infant child bond is formed, and the infant child grows to know and find comfort, nourishment, nurturing, safety, and security at its mother’s bosom. The psalmist notes in this passage of scripture that the Creator of the universe acknowledges the worship and praise from the mouth of infants (Ps 8:2). In the Gospel of Matthew, we can see that when Jesus entered the temple of Jerusalem, children cry out to Him saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David.” There crying out to Jesus caused the chief priests and scribes to become indignant and asked Jesus if He had heard the children. Jesus replied, “Yea, have ye never read, out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?” (Mt 21:15-16). The cry of a child calling out for its mother or father is authentic and sincere because of their dependency on the care received from its parents. In like manner, those who are aware of their sinful, fallen lives and their dependent need for God’s intervention, will come to know the faithfulness of God and cry out desperately to Him. Dear friend, as we experience the redemption of God through His Son Jesus, we too will cry out like the psalmist, “Holy and awesome is His name” (Ps 111:9). My friend, are you maintaining a conscious, everyday dependency upon God? Are your prayers to God the prayers as of “out of the mouth of babes and sucklings” in that you cry out in desperate need for Him and His strength? Friend, He created us for worship and praise. What will come from your mouth today? Call to Him for “the Lord will hear when I call unto Him” (Ps 4:3).  Father thank You for Your love and Your faithfulness to care for our every need. You are “my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer” (Ps 18:2). You are great and greatly to be praised! (Ps 48:1) In the blessed Name of Jesus. Amen.

O LORD our Lord, how excellent is Thy Name in all the earth! who hast set Thy glory above the heavens. Ps 8:1

Have ever stood in a place that was breathtaking? Such that overwhelmed your entire being? I recall the first time I stood on the edge of the Grand Canyon. The vision was so glorious and unbelievable, that I became nauseously overwhelmed by the majestic view of the wonder of this creation. It was as though to experience the beauty of creation in an instant. Later, as I stood before the powerful waters and the majestic sight of the Niagara Falls, those same feelings and emotions returned. Both of these created wonders, as magnificent as they are, are only small elements of the marvelous wonder of God. Every thought that I ever had for the presence of God, His majesty, His wonder, His glory, His holiness, and His righteousness failed in comparison. He is more wonderful and breathtaking than the depth of the Grand Canyon or the power of the Niagara Falls. The scripture passage reminds us of the praiseworthiness of God and “how excellent is Thy Name in all the earth.” In each of those moments I felt an overwhelming unworthiness in my spirit that cried out along with Peter when he saw his boat become overwhelmed with an abundance of fish. He was so humiliated in his unworthiness that “he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Lk 5:8). I become equally ashamed when I am reminded that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28). How is it that we can say, “how excellent is Thy Name in all the earth” and complain about our circumstances? We gripe and complain about the displeasure, dissatisfaction, disappointments, and discouragements encountered in life, and fail to recognize them as the excellent works of God. Dear friend, have you allowed despair, anger, anxiety, or bitterness to dampened or dimmed your view of the excellence of God? Do you desire more change in your circumstance or more change in your view of God? Jesus came that we might have eternal life “and this is life eternal, that they might know the only true God, and Jesus Christ” (Jn 17:3). My friend, God has not abandoned you in your circumstances. His excellence is present and powerfully working for you “according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28). God has promised that He “will never leave thee nor forsake thee” (Heb 13:5). My friend, be renewed in the word of God (Rom 12:2) and allow the Holy Spirit to guide “you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet 2:9) that you might behold His glory and proclaim with all the saints “how excellent is Thy Name in all the earth.” Father thank You for Your love and Your excellence “above the heavens.” I humbly bow in Your presence and praise You in the blessed and holy Name of Jesus. Amen.