Praise to God is a fundamental part of the Christian walk. It acknowledges His greatness and it helps us to set aside our burdens to focus on the One who can deliver us from them; and it prevents us from tying our praise to only the good in our lives. Because of the heaviness of life, at times, I think it is tempting to withhold our praises to God, until we receive the blessing we are looking for and/or the answers to the prayers we have petitioned for months, or even years. To me, this Psalm (150), counters that attitude, because it reads to me as a call to action – to praise God for who He is and for his nature, unconditionally. So, praise Him when you’re scared, praise Him when you’re sad, praise Him when you’ve been hurt, praise Him when you’re happy. One story comes to mind when I think about praising God, unconditionally, in the face of adversity – the story about King Jehoshaphat. In 2nd Chronicles 20:17-22 the Bible tells of a story that King Jehoshaphat was alarmed and concerned when a huge army was coming to fight against him, and when the time came to defend, he chose men to sing and praise the Lord for “the splendor of His holiness” (2 Chronicles 20: 21), then he gave thanks to the Lord and started to sing and praise, and as they began to do so the Lord set an ambush against the other army to defeat them, leaving King Jehoshaphat and his men in victory (2 Chronicles 20:22). One of the lessons for me here is, while King Jehoshaphat did not know the outcome of the battle, it did not stop him from praising the Lord, and it should not stop us, either.
So, if you are in your own battle of life right now, and find it hard to praise God, I encourage you to read Psalm 150 and be inspired to praise God for His “acts of power and surpassing greatness.” Keep trusting in Him.
God Bless!