Let everything that breathes praise the Lord. —Psalm 150:6
Afew years ago, TV viewers cast nearly five hundred million votes in support of their favorite contestants on American Idol. It’s natural to express praise for that which we enjoy.
We promote the music of our favorite artist, discuss the skill of an admired athlete, or recom- mend the food of a good restaurant. Delight goes hand in hand with praise. When something or someone thrills us, we are compelled to express it. The enjoyment isn’t really complete until we do. The “Wow!” follows the pleasure like the rumble of thunder follows the lightning flash.
C.S. Lewis once said, “Praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.”1 In other words, praise is to enjoyment what crossing the finish line is to running a race. The enjoyment leads to praise. The two are so closely linked that an absence of one generally indicates an absence of the other. This helps explain the reason behind the Bible’s command to praise God. In commanding us to praise Him, God is—in essence—inviting us to enjoy Him.
1 C.S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms (Orlando: Harcourt Books, 1958) 95.
Make it Personal
How much of your daily life includes giving praise to God?