2. PRAISE GOD FOR HIS PROTECTION
Psalm 47: 3
He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet….9 The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted!
Israel was a wimpy little nation of slaves. After their prison break from Egypt they were a rag-tag bevy of homeless folk, wondering about aimlessly in the wilderness. But when they set foot on Canaanite soil, the land flowing with milk and honey, they suddenly became practically invincible. It’s not like they had turned into Army Rangers— they simply walked around Jericho seven times and it spontaneously collapsed.
God was with them.
God gave them the land, and if they were walking with him, they were unstoppable. And they knew that it was God who handed the nations to them on a silver platter.
When the Assyrian king, Sennacherib, invaded Judah and sieged Jerusalem, he brought with him an army as far as the eye could see. King Hezekiah encouraged his people with this theology…
2 Chronicles 32: 7-8 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
Sometimes Christians behave as if our God is weak. When we complain about the crime and fears of our country, then we are vocally declaring that we don’t trust God. But we should rather be vociferous proclaimers of God’s protection of his children, and that come what may, we will assert that God is in control and we will declare our trust in him to protect us.
3. PRAISE GOD FOR HIS PRIVILEGED CHOICE
Psalm 47:4 He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves.… 9 The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham.
A great reason to praise God aloud is the privilege of being chosen in love.
Why did God choose us? Because he loved us.
Paul describes God’s loving election of us in terms of giving God great praise.
Ephesians 1: 3-5… even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, .., to the praise of his glorious grace, …
The Psalmist boasts not in the ability of Israel, not in their might, or worthiness, but in God’s love. God’s choice of you is based on his love, so boasting does not exalt you, it exalts God’s love.
Imagine you went to the pet store and saw four pedigree puppies, and one three-legged, one-eyed mutt. But out of compassion you selected to adopt the pathetic creature. Would this mongrel be able to boast to all the other pedigreed pups that he must be more special or more appealing than they? Of course not. The choice of the unlovely shows the love of the owner, not the worthiness of the pet.
Does God’s love for you make you want to tell people about him? It should.
CONCLUSION:
If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then that confirms that the Almighty God has chosen you. So remember to voice your thanks, to express your gratitude. Give him loud and joyful praise!
This article originally appeared here.
