Day 38: Praising Church

Daily Devotional

Habakkuk 3:17-19

17 “Though the fig tree should not blossom,
    nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
    and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
    and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
    I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 God, the Lord, is my strength;
    he makes my feet like the deer's;
    he makes me tread on my high places.
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.”

There is always a reason to praise God. The prophet Habakkuk thinks of a hypothetical scenario in which all food and livestock are no more. And yet, he will rejoice and take joy in God. We can (and should) praise God for physical things such as food, careers, and even families. But the main reason why we praise him is him. Having no sources of food is only a fraction of the destruction that God revealed to Habakkuk, the destruction that will soon come to God’s own people. Yet, Habakkuk praises God. He trusts in what God will do. Let us also praise God with joy for he remains the same good God. The path we are currently on may be dark and rigid, but God will always be our strength. He always remains by our side. If you cannot find a reason to praise him, just look at him. He himself is the reason why praise is a thing. So even when life is grim, we have every reason to praise the God of our salvation. Let us bring joy into our lives by praising him!

Weekly Application

As part of a praising church, make it a priority to offer your genuine praise and worship to God every day of this week. Be intentional in finding ways to express your gratitude and adoration towards God, whether it’s through singing, praying, or sharing your testimony of His goodness. As you do this, may there be high expectation that the atmosphere to praise will draw you closer to God and lift up the people around you. This week, challenge yourself to praise God in at least one new way each day. It could be as simple as thanking Him for the beauty of nature, or as bold as sharing your faith with someone who doesn’t know Him yet. Let us become a praising church that brings hope to the world around us and a glory to God above.