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"Song of Praise"
by Matt Campbell
from a Selah Moment at Colonial Baptist Church
Is there really a song of Praise echoing in your soul today?
As I look back on my week I must honestly say that there were many times that a song of praise was far from my lips; you may be only a few steps behind me.
What was it for you that kept this song of praise from burning brightly?
The overwhelming demands of life; the busyness of schedules; the repeated failures of sin; the constant struggle to make any progress in your spiritual life; the overwhelming sense of fatigue as you work to keep your head above water; or the debilitating addictions you find constantly around you?
All these seek to snuff out the song of praise in your soul.
All these can leave us worn and haggard with barely a spark of praise to fan into flame.
But as you sit here today the billows of God's grace have been blowing on this spark. The very presence of brothers and sisters in Christ have created a haven of grace around you.
You find refuge in their contentment and in their joy.
You find encouragement in their prayers for you.
You're challenged by those around you singing their song of praise.
You found enough strength to sing praise to Christ as the choir reminded you of His amazing love for you.
Be assured that the billows of God's grace will continue to blow gently on you today.
Will you allow the winds of grace to move over you, so that your song of praise might burn brightly again?
Can you feel it? It's on the right and left of you. It's coming from those who speak to you today; their words are words of genuine concern. Like Peter they say to you, "May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence" [2 Peter 1:2-3].
Your brothers and sisters care for the condition of your soul, and they desire that you to find your delight in Christ.
Here it is coming from behind you from the lips of David singing to Yahweh: "Surely [O, God] your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life" [Psalm 23:6]. As a child of God you can always glance behind you and see God's unfailing goodness and love running after you. You cannot escape his goodness and love.
Again you feel the wind of grace; you remember Jesus and the expression of God's love for us: "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone" [Hebrews 2:9].
The fire of praise begins to burn in you, but you still ask in your heart, "How do we praise Him in the midst of a recession? Or when I've just lost a loved one?"
Brothers and Sisters, we can praise him because we have been redeemed from the slavery of materialism and the continual desire to have more things.
Brothers and Sisters, you have been given real life through the regenerating work of God, and you know that all of life is in the hand of your good and sovereign God. You have been raised to life with Christ, and "your life is hidden with Christ in God" [Col. 3:3].
The fires of praise are burning brighter, and now the billows of God's grace are blowing directly in your face as you look into a scene that is still to come:
Revelation 5:8-10 "And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth."
So we do say to one another "How can we keep from singing Your Praise, O God?" For Christ is precious. He has been declared precious by the Father "Now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, the living Stone-- rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him-- [1 Pet. 2:3-4].
We can't help but praise the Lamb of God who is valuable above all else.
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