The Mystery of ChristShembull

### A PRACTICE OF PRAISE Have you ever wondered, “Why do we praise God?” Think about it. What does an all-powerful, all-knowing, and altogether perfect God want with our praise? Surely, God is not insecure, needing our affirmation, or lacking in adoration. Yet, one of the most common commandments of Scripture, especially in the writing of the Psalms and prophets, is to “praise the Lord,” as we practiced yesterday. Praising God should be our most authentic, continual activity. It is our response to the power, majesty, mystery, beauty, and goodness of God. When we see God for who God really is, our praise flows freely and honestly. Among other characteristics, we declare God’s majesty (Psalm 8), God’s provision (Psalm 23), God’s faithfulness (89), and God’s mercy (Psalm 100). In short, we don’t praise God to make God better; we praise God to announce how much better God is. As humans, we are prone to forget our Creator, and we often slip into worship of other external gods: money, sex, fame, and more. Even worse, we fall into the internal trap of idolizing ourselves through selfish ambition, control, and pride. Today, let’s come back to the practice of praise. There are endless ways and reasons to praise Jesus, so let’s lean into the mystery together! Written by Dwan Hill