PRAISE THE LORD (PART 1)

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

In that day you will say:

“I will praise You, Lord. Although You were angry with me, Your anger has turned away and You have comforted me.

Isaiah 12:1

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

“In that day, you will say, “I will praise You Lord.”

It’s these opening words that set the tone for the beginning of chapter 12 of Isaiah and the theme for a series of devotions on why we should praise the Lord each and every day. The scriptures exhort us to do just that when they proclaim:

This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 (NLT)

Indeed, every day is a rich gift from God, another day to love and live and learn under His tutelage. We should ever be showing Him our gratitude.

So with that, let’s start our series on reasons to praise the Lord by looking at the first verse of Isaiah, Chapter 12

In that day you will say:

“I will praise You, Lord. Although You were angry with me, Your anger has turned away and You have comforted me.

The end of Isaiah, Chapter 11 had the Lord reclaiming His people from the exile He sent them into. His period of judgment had ended and He was restoring His people to the promised land so that they might start rebuilding Jerusalem and the holy temple where they might return to worship God in His presence. Although God had been angry with His people, His anger did not endure and, in place of it, He provided His comfort. This led the people into a spirit of praise, praise for God’s forgiveness, mercy, and grace.

As we approach life every day, perhaps we should follow the lead of the people of Israel and enter into a spirit of praise for God’s forgiveness, mercy, and grace. For because of our sinful nature, we deserve nothing from God except His judgment and yet He shows us patience and mercy and love. It truly is amazing grace when we really take time to think about it and it should lead us to a place of praise each and every day. We serve a God who is ever pardoning and compassionate, not giving us the punishment we truly deserve. We should never take that for granted.

And so today and every day, let us look to the heavens and just say, “Thank You Lord for all the forgiveness, mercy, and grace You grant me in life. On this day, the day You have made and granted, I will praise You.”

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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