David praised the Lord before the entire assembly: “O Lord God of our father Israel, you deserve praise forevermore! O Lord, you are great, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious, and sovereign over all the sky and earth! You, Lord, have dominion and exalt yourself as the ruler of all. 1 Chronicles 29.10-11 NET.
This is how King David’s prayer began after the people made offerings for the construction of the temple. The people and David himself were very happy with the generosity shown at that moment. Then the praise was directed to the Lord, not to the people.
At all times, we can find reasons to worship the Lord God I-AM, whether in the best moments or the worst. Instead of focusing on human actions, condemning or praising them, the one who deserves our attention and worship is the sovereign Lord.
For every situation, some aspect of God’s nature and character deserves to be brought to the fore.
May we, individually and in our assemblies, offer prayers centered on God: who he is, his nature, his providence, and especially his demonstration of kindness and power among us.
In many places, “praise” is where the leader or team shines. Human talent makes the impression. That’s a shameful situation every single time it occurs — and it occurs far too often.
Let man fade into the background. Let God be seen, recognized and worshiped as the only One who deserves all our attention.
As I wrote in a couplet to sum it up:
The Lord deserves the praise, every time,
In the saddest moments and the most sublime.
- God deserves the praise, every time - 2025-10-21
- Ask God - 2025-10-14
- At the edge of the Jordan River - 2025-09-15