Put Your Heart into It – Part 2
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD. Psalms 150:6
Solomon says there’s ‘…a time to keep silence and a time to speak’ (Ecclesiastes 3:7). Now, you shouldn’t interrupt the church service and draw attention to yourself, but when it’s time to praise God you should give it 100 percent: ‘I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart’ (Psalms 9:1). The story’s told of an old man named Joe, who’d been a drunk and a derelict most of his life and, as a result, he could barely make ends meet. During a Sunday morning service he surrendered his life to Christ and the transformation was so radical that everybody in the congregation noticed it. Joe had a problem, however; he was so thrilled with Jesus that he sang louder than everybody else. And when the pastor made a point that touched his heart, he’d jump up and shout, ‘Hallelujah!’ Concerned that the dignity and decorum of the church were at risk, the pastor said, ‘Joe, you’ve got to be quiet. As a matter of fact, if you’ll just sit in church next Sunday and say nothing, I’ll buy you a new pair of boots.’ Joe needed the boots, so he said he’d try. But after restraining himself through several high points in the sermon, he couldn’t stand it anymore. He jumped up and shouted, ‘Boots or no boots, I’m gonna praise the Lord!’ You say, ‘But I’m the quiet, reserved type.’ Sorry, there are no exceptions based on personality types.‘ Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!’ In other words, unless you’re dead, you’re supposed to praise the Lord!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me to praise You with my whole being! In Jesus’ Name, Amen