Praise The Lord At All Times! Series

INTRO.- 1 I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.

Do we ever praise the Lord enough or give thanks too much? Is there ever a limit to our praise and thanks? No, never. Thanksgiving to God should be a never ending practice in our lives.

ILL.- A Sunday School teacher asked her class what they were thankful for. One little boy said, "My glasses." When asked why he was thankful for his glasses when most little boys were bitter about wearing them, he said, "Because they keep the boys from fighting me and the girls from kissing me."

What are you thankful for? Sometimes it’s just the little things that may mean the most.

ILL.- When Robinson Crusoe was wrecked on his lonely isle, he drew up in two columns what he called the evil and the good, as follows:

- He was cast on a desolate island, but still alive—not drowned, as all his ship's company were.

- He was divided from mankind and banished from human society, but he was not starving.

- He had no clothes, but he was in a hot climate where he didn't need them.

- He was without means of defense, but he saw no wild beasts, such as he had seen on the coast of Africa.

- He had no soul to speak to, but God had sent the ship so near to the shore that he could get of it all things for his needs.

So he concluded that there was not any condition in the world so miserable but there was something positive to be thankful for in it.

What about you? Do you only see the negative things in your life? Can you not find the positive things in your life for which to give thanks and praise to the Lord?

I Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” Give thanks in all circumstances. Or praise the Lord in all circumstances. That doesn’t mean you like every circumstance of your life. It’s just you can see more than just the negative things in your life. You see the positive, the good and you praise the Lord for them.

ILL.- Corrie ten Boom in The Hiding Place relates an incident that taught her always to be thankful. She and her sister, Betsy, had just been transferred to the worst German prison camp they had seen yet, Ravensbruck. On entering the barracks, they found them extremely overcrowded and flea-infested. That morning, their Scripture reading in 1 Thessalonians had reminded them to rejoice always, pray constantly, and give thanks in all circumstances. Betsy told Corrie to stop and thank the Lord for every detail of their new living quarters.

Corrie at first refused to give thanks for the fleas, but Betsy persisted, and Corrie finally succumbed to her pleadings. During the months spent at the camp, they were surprised to find how openly they could hold Bible study and prayer meetings without guard interference.

It was not until several months later that they learned the reason the guards would not enter the barracks was because of the fleas.

PROP.- Why praise the Lord? Why not? He blesses in many ways so why shouldn’t we be quick to praise Him? Specifically, what has the Lord done for us?

1- The Lord has answered my prayers (4)

2- The Lord saved me from my troubles (6)

3- The Lord blessed me with good (7-10)

I. THE LORD HAS ANSWERED MY PRAYERS

4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

ILL.- An English publication offered a prize for the best definition of a friend, and among the thousands of answers received were the following:

"One who multiplies joys, divides grief."

"One who understands our silence."

But here is the definition that won the prize: "A friend—the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out."

ILL.- Someone else said, “You can always tell a real friend: when you've made a fool of yourself he doesn't feel you've done a permanent job.” Do you have a friend like that?

ILL.- At the close of World War II, the Russians held a reception for Field Marshall Sir Bernard L. Montgomery. At the reception, he was awarded the Soviet Union's Order of Victory. Vodka flowed freely at the function. Montgomery was surrounded by a score of imbibing, high-ranking Russian officers. Being a total abstainer, he was "on the spot." He was embarrassed. Just then, General Dwight D. Eisenhower came near. And Montgomery said: "Ike, get me out of this!" Ike came promptly to his aid. He explained that the British Marshall did not drink.

Do you have a friend who will help to get you out of a difficult situation? A friend on whom you can always depend. A friend who believes in you no matter what happens to you. Yes, you do.