3 Minute Read

Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

Exodus 15-16
Matthew 20:1-19

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

Exodus 15:11 (CSB): “LORD, who is like you among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, revered with praises, performing wonders?”

Reflecting on God’s Word

Exodus 15 opens with a song. Moses leads the people in a song of praise to God for who He is and what He has done. God has just separated the waters of the Red Sea, let the Israelites cross safely, and drowned the pursuing Egyptian army. And it is a time to express their awe and joy in their God for what He did.

The Israelites moved from fear to amazement to praise! They were initially terrified of the pursuing Egyptian army. Then, they watched in amazement as God separated the waters, let them get across safely, and then gawked as their enemies were decimated. They couldn’t help but praise their God! That was the most natural thing their hearts craved to do.

Exodus 15:11 (CSB): “LORD, who is like you among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, revered with praises, performing wonders?”

Did you know that we can take the temperature of our hearts by putting a thermometer into our praise muscle? If we find it easy to praise the Lord, then we are probably, at least reasonably, spiritually healthy. But if praise is foreign to us or if we perpetually don’t feel like praising the Lord, we need to discover what is ailing us. A persistent lack of a desire to praise the Lord is a sign of spiritual sickness.

So, how do we cultivate a spiritually healthy habit of praising the Lord? Just do it! Just start praising Him. Initially, it may not feel natural, but keep doing it.

When you can pay your bills this month, praise Him. When you wake up from a reasonably good night’s sleep, praise Him. When you reflect on the fact that He loves you so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to pay your sin debt and make you right in His eyes as you trust in Jesus, praise Him.

Even when something happens that you perceive to be bad, praise Him in faith. If you love Him and are saved, assume that He’s going to be true to His Word (Romans 8:28), and He will work some good out of it. And remember that His ultimate good for you is to make you more like Jesus (Romans 8:29). Praise Him in faith, even before you see the good He will bring.

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you to see even more clearly all of the good things He is doing for you and around you?
  • Ask God to help you see by faith that He will work good things out, even in the things you perceive as bad.
  • Ask God to help you praise Him for all of it sincerely from the depths of your heart.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into praising God, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“What does it mean to praise God?”

“Why is praising God important?”

Sharing

If this post has been helpful to you or if you think it could help others, please consider tapping one of the social media buttons below to share it on your favorite platform.

____________________

Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)