"When God does not do things our way, we can easily find fault with Him, even knowing that He is perfect and His love never ceases." Kathy Spampinato

We are encouraged in the Bible, to praise God. We were created to be in relationship with God, and to worship: to give God our praise and thanksgiving. Let's explore what this means. The Psalms tells us to worship God for what He does and for who He is; for His mighty deeds and his excellent greatness. We are to be conscious of His character, and of what He is doing. We are to be familiar with His mighty deeds and offer Him praise and thanksgiving for His goodness. We are to be thinking about how his love has reached out to save, and how this impacts our lives.

Psalm 150:1-3,6 ESV states, "Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!"

Deuteronomy 10:17-18 "For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing."

In Matthew 22:37-38,Jesus tells us that this is our purpose. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment."

I think that the reason we are encouraged to worship so often, is because we are so forgetful. We are so easily distracted. We automatically express gratitude and praise when things are going well and we see the answer to our prayers. When things are tough and we are facing adversity, it is easy to grumble and complain. In our humanity, we sometimes view God only from how we feel at the moment, and what we think He is doing for us, or not doing for us. We sometimes view God from the perspective of disappointment and confusion. When God does not do things our way, we can easily find fault with Him, even knowing that He is perfect and His love never ceases.

We struggle to see that God is good when circumstances are not. The following verse is from one of my favorite psalms, because it is like giving yourself a pep-talk. We need a reminder to praise God regardless of what is happening around us. He is worthy even when we do not feel like worshipping: even when our heart is broken or grieving. Sometimes we need to tell our soul- our mind, will and emotions, to get going and give God "the glory due His name."

Psalm 42:5 " Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation, and my God."

When the prophet Isaiah sees a vision of the seraphim angels worshipping in heaven he describes it this way.

Isaiah 6:3 "And one called to another and said: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!'"

Do you need a reminder today? You can tell your soul to worship. You can offer a sacrifice of praise. You can decide to put on some worship music and sing along even when your heart is not overflowing with enthusiasm. We all need to motivate our hearts to worship. We can choose to recite about God's goodness and express our thanks for all He has done for us. Don't wait for inspiration to strike! Stir up your soul to worship. Magnify the name of the Lord! He is worthy of your praise, and your soul will be changed and encouraged by your choice. Praise will arise from within and your heart will begin to agree with what your mouth is speaking.

Psalm 77:11-14 "I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your works, and meditate on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples."

Psalm 48:1a "Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God!"

Psalm 9:1-2 "I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High."

Today, it is your choice to worship and give thanks. It is a responsibility and a privilege. It is a gift and an offering to the God who is so deserving of your devotion.