Bible

Let All the People Praise Thee

/ Gail Johnson / 11 Comments

And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long (Psalm 35:28).

The Song

1) Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
Ye people of His choice,
Let all to whom He lendeth breath
Now in His name rejoice.
For love’s blest revelation,
For rest from condemnation,
For uttermost salvation,
To Him give thanks.

Reasons to Praise Him

I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good (Psalm 54:6).

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light (1 Peter 2:9).

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (Romans 8:1).


For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10).

CHORUS
Let all the people praise Thee.
Let all the people praise Thee!
Let all the people praise Thy name
Forever and forevermore.

2) Oh, praise Him for His holiness,
His wisdom, and His grace;
Sing praises for the precious Blood
Which ransomed all our race.
In tenderness He sought us;
From depths of sin He brought us;
The way of life then taught us.
To Him give thanks.

Reasons to Praise Him

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created (Revelations 4:11).

Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing (Revelation 5:12).

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s (1 Corinthians 6:20).

3) Had I a thousand tongues to sing,
The half could ne’er be told
Of love so rich, so full and free,
Of blessings manifold,
Of grace that faileth never,
Peace flowing as a river
From God, the glorious Giver
To Him give thanks.

Reasons to Praise Him

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love (Ephesians 1:3-4).

The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace (Psalm 29:11).

Let All the People Praise Thee | Mrs. C. H. Morris | Public Domain

As we approach the Thanksgiving holidays, may we find more and more reasons to praise Him!

STEP 5: Seek

/ Gail Johnson / 7 Comments

Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. 1 Chronicles 16:11 (KJV)

Let’s review the 5 STEPS for Success in 2025 before looking at the fifth and final step.

  1. Sing
  2. Track
  3. Encourage
  4. Persevere
  5. Seek

Our last step, as you can see, is the word seek. Seek in Hebrew means “to inquire of,” “to ask,” or “to seek,” conveying the idea of “going to see,” personally verifying something said, or “searching for.” KJV Study Bible

to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication to strive after: – ask, beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure, (make) request, require, seek (for). Strong’s Concordance

Notice the “personally verifying something said.”

One who seeks is called a seeker. A seeker goes in search of something. I cannot seek for you no more than you can seek for me. We must seek for ourselves.

Seek what?

I chose the words Lord, wisdom, and truth for this post.

SEEK THE LORD

In today’s world, we can become overwhelmed by the news, family situations, and financial responsibilities. The good news is the Lord promises when we seek Him with all our hearts, we will find Him. He is the great I AM. And He will supply the need.

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

With all your heart is important. A seeker’s heart is seeking something or someone. It is consumed with the subject. They will not quit until they find what they’re looking for.

Find is the result—reward.

The word when is not a time stamp. It describes the moment our hearts are prepared to find the answer. I’m sure you’ve had moments when your heart was no longer focused on things of the world or yourself.

If you don’t, hang on. They’re coming.

SEEK WISDOM

First Kings has one of my favorite verses about God’s care for His people. David is dead, and a young Solomon is appointed king. The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, “Ask what I shall give thee.”

Imagine the Lord offering you the same gift. What would you say?

Even as a young boy, Solomon knew he needed help to govern the people.

“…I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. …Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?”

Read the whole conversation at 1 Kings 3:5-15.

We are wise when we understand we need the Lord’s help. Many situations can leave a person scratching their heads nowadays. But if we rely on the Lord, He will guide us to the perfect solution.

SEEK TRUTH

Social media has been filled with conflicting stories for the longest. Lately, I feel like a parent listening to several kids tell their side of the story while trying to figure out which one to believe. For instance . . .

Last week, people became upset over a video and began sharing it. And I mean sharing it! It was everywhere. The problem was the clip told half the story. People were in a panic.

No, I didn’t share. And no, it wasn’t a political post. It was about ebooks. My heart went out to everyone who didn’t understand what was happening. Curious, I searched for the truth and found articles explaining the entire matter. By then, several people were sharing articles. Whew!

That incident made my heart heavy. Ebooks may seem trivial to some, but ebooks are not the only reason people are upset. Fake news. Fake pictures. Fake people. These days, we cannot believe everything we see and hear. We must seek the truth! We should look out for each other.

I didn’t have anyone looking out for me when I entered the online world years ago. I shared what I thought to be a cry for help. Not true. Someone had taken an old photo of a war-torn district and misled the viewer about another situation. Boy, did I get lambasted for my ignorance! Now, I question everything.

The following scripture should guide us in what we say, think, and do.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8

SEEKING IN 2025

There are more good things to seek in 2025. Things like peace, justice, reconciliation, the hurting, and the lost. What would you add to the list?

Let us seek the Lord and His will like never before in 2025.

Until next time…

STEP 1: Sing

/ Gail Johnson / 16 Comments

Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy. 

Psalm 59:17 (KJV)

Not every plan we implement this year will bring the success we crave. The first step to a successful year is to realize a one-size-fits-all plan is not the answer. Just as our dreams and journeys are personal, our plans should be designed for us, too.

Another reason our strategy should be personalized is that complicated plans are abandoned, while easy plans often leave out crucial elements for the sake of reaching the goal. Discovering the perfect steps to help us obtain our objectives may take a while. Still, we shouldn’t give up. Meanwhile, we succeed anytime we obey the Word of God. Guaranteed.

5 STEPS for Success in 2025 is a simple way to reach daily goals. I want to share Step 1 today.

Sing for Spiritual Renewal

Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

Psalm 30:4 (KJV)

If remembering God’s holiness is the only reason we sing, then let us sing for that reason alone. Of course, there are other reasons for an aria.

Something happens when we sing.

If you think the commandment to sing is for God’s benefit alone, you’re mistaken. A physical, mental, and spiritual shift occurs when we lift our voices in song. For instance, our physical bodies are changed. We move beyond the pain and heartache. We break spiritual chains and win wars. We walk in victory.

When Paul and Silas were in Philippi, they were beaten with many stripes and thrown in prison. But they didn’t quit.

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.

Acts 16:25-26 (KJV)

Another example is Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. When he faced three armies, he cried unto the Lord for a plan. The Lord answered his prayer.

Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you. 

2 Chronicles 20:17 (KJV)

Jehoshaphat appointed singers to go before the army. (How would you feel about that plan? 😊)

And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

2 Chronicles 20:22 (KJV)

Sing for Physical Renewal

Did you know that something happens in, and to, your body when you sing?

For instance, the left side of the brain is responsible for speech. With it, we construct sentences. However, the right side is responsible for creativity, which involves rhythm and melody. When we sing, both sides of our brains light up! That’s why people who stutter can sing their words without any difficulty.

Singing also strengthens the lungs. A great exercise is to sing or hum while walking or running. And that’s not all! Belting out our favorite tune improves memory because we focus on several things, like music, rhythm, and words.  

Singing can also reduce anxiety and stress, thereby reducing cortisol. Can anyone say belly fat?

Another reason to sing is that singing releases endorphins. Endorphins are the body’s painkillers.  

Serotonin improves sleep, boosts moods, and helps control appetites.

Dopamine helps a person feel pleasure and motivation. It plays a key role in learning, memory, mood, and sleep.

Oxytocin is released in different ways. A few are laughter, exercise, music, and ultraviolet light. A reason we need to spend time in the sun. It relieves stress and anxiety, builds trust, and affects our moods.

As you can see, there are many different reasons to sing. So grab your favorite playlists, radio, or CD, and sing your favorite song while walking in the sunshine!

Your Turn

Share your favorite worship songs and hymns in the comments. Have a wonderful week!

Articles to Read

Endorphins: The brain’s natural pain reliever – Harvard Health Publishing

The Science Behind Singing: What Happens When We Sing? – London Singing Institute

The World’s Most Accessible Stress Reliever – bbc.com

What to Know About Oxytocin Hormone – WebMD