Votional December 26

Devotional for Adults

December 26, 2018

The power of praise and gratitude

 "Rejoice Jehovah, all the earth; lift up your voice, clap your hands and sing psalms" (Psalm 98: 4).

GRATITUDE and praise are expressions that flow from a heart redeemed by our Lord Jesus Christ, which flows from men and women who recognize the power of God, from those who have had a personal encounter with Christ; knowing that God has forgiven them, they can not keep silent. So they cry: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord, Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!" (Luke 19: 38).

Gratitude is to confess that God is exalted and perfect, great in mercy and kindness, slow to anger and great in deep love for all mankind. Who seeks with love the one who flees from him. He bends down to the bed of pain and takes in his arms the helpless and unable to do something for himself. To the one who says as David: «I will praise you, because your works are formidable and wonderful; I am amazed and my soul knows it very well "(Psalm 139: 14).

Praise and gratitude brought the glory of God to the temple. Solomon moved the ark of the testimony to the newly built Temple. He placed it in the Holy of Holies. The singing Levites with their children and brothers, took cymbals, psalteries and harps, and joined 120 priests who played trumpets to render gratitude and praise to the Most High God, for the temple and the sanctuary to worship. So they played the instruments and sang in unison, praising and giving thanks to Jehovah. It happened that while they raised their voices to the sound of the trumpets, a cloud filled the house of God, because their glory occupied the Temple.

Another important fact was when the people of Judah were threatened by the war of the Moabites and Ammonites. They told King Jehoshaphat that these two peoples were ready to attack them. Then Jehoshaphat humbled his face to consult God. He proclaimed fasting and prayer: "Our God! Will not you judge them? For we have no strength to face the great multitude that comes against us, we do not know what to do, and we turn our eyes to you "(2 Chronicles 20:12).

The people bowed to God and worshiped, then they organized to sing dressed in sacred ornaments. Then God put ambushes among the enemy army itself, there was confusion and among themselves they were destroyed. Judah did not raise a single weapon, they only praised the name of God. The power of gratitude and praise are great. Praise God always.