No matter what you are going through, never stop praising the Lord. After all, God chose you so that you could give him praise [from 1 Peter 2:9-10 read 1 Peter 2:4-25 (9-10)].

Revised: Saturday, April 20, 2024

Never Stop Praising The Lord; He Is Our Hope

You have been my strength and protection. That is why I can never stop praising you. - from Psalms 71:7-8 (NLT)

STM Bible Lesson:

Lesson focus: Psalms 71:7-8. Bible lesson background, Psalms
71:7-11: The Bible Knowledge Commentary – Psalm 71 combines elements from other psalms (22; 31; 35; 40). Yet it is a unit in itself, expressing the faith of an older person throughout most of his lifetime.
In response to his prayer, the psalmist, who is not identified, anticipated the same marvelous response the Lord had given him all his life.
So, vowing to praise God as he had always done, he confidently asked to be delivered from those who sought his harm and derided him for his faith.
[My note:] Specifically, 71:7-8, even when things were difficult, the psalmist chose to praise God. It should encourage us to do likewise. In doing so, we show our faith in Him, trusting that He will provide us with the strength, peace, and joy to persevere.

Psalms 71:7-8 [read Psalms 71:7-11 (7-8)]: My life is an example to many because you have been my strength and protection. 8 That is why I can never stop praising [the Lord God] you; I declare your glory all day long. (NLT); KJV: I am as a wonder unto many, but thou art my strong refuge. 8 Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.

He is our hope

Colossians 1:26-27 [read Colossians 1:24-29 (26-27)]: This message is the secret truth that was hidden since the beginning of time. It was hidden from everyone for ages, but now it has been made known to God’s holy people. 27 God decided to let his people know just how rich and glorious that truth is. That secret truth, which is for all people, is that Christ lives in you, his people. He is our hope for glory [i.e., in heaven]. (ERV); KJV: Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Never Stop Praising the Lord

Let us offer, as our sacrifice, continual praise to our Lord — it is an offering from your lips that glorify the name of the Lord; JESUS (from Hebrews 13:15 Open English Bible). The Psalms are full of terms that express praise and can be your motivation. I give you four to give you examples of ways to give verbal praise.

1. Bless – barak

Psalms 34:1 [read Psalms 34:1-3 (1)]: I will praise the Lord at all times; my mouth will continually praise him. (NET); KJV: I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.; McClintock and Strong Encyclopedia: Without doubt the inferior is blessed by the superior. “…blessing on the part of man is an act of thanksgiving to God for his mercies…”

2. Boast – halal

Psalms 44:8 [read Psalms 44:4-8 (8)]: We will always praise you and give thanks to you forever. (GNT); KJV: In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.; International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: The Hebrew halal means primarily “praise,” and is used in that sense in Psalms 44:8, etc.: but in Psalms 5:5; 75:4 it has a negative connotation (AV “foolish,” “fools”).

3. Magnify – gadal

Psalms 69:30 [read Psalms 69:29-33 (30)]: I want to praise God’s name with a song. I want to praise his great name with a song of thanksgiving. (GW); KJV: I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.; KJV Dictionary: To make great in representation; to extol; to exalt in description or praise.

4. Exalt – ruwm

Psalms 99:5 [read Psalms 99:4-5 (5)]: Praise the Lord our God. Worship at the Temple, his footstool. He is holy. (ICB); KJV: Exalt [praise; honor] ye the LORD our God, and worship [bow down] at his footstool [feet]; for he is holy.; Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary: To elevate by praise or in estimation.

Active Praise

We can offer praises to God without using words. The following are three methods of non-verbal praise to God

1. Clap hands; blow (a trumpet)

Psalms 47:1 [read Psalms 47:1-4 (1)]: Come, everyone, and clap for joy! Shout triumphant praises to the Lord! (TLB); KJV: O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.; Brown-Driver-Briggs: 1. give a blast, blow (German ‘stossen’), with ב of instrument (usually horn or clarion). 2. strike, clap hands; in triumph.; H8628 תָּקַע taqa` (taw-kah’) v. to blow, clap, strike, sound, thrust, give a blow, blast.

Psalms 81:3 [read Psalms 81:3-5 (3)]: Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon, when the moon is full, when our feast begins. (NCV); KJV: Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.

2. Dancing

2 Samuel 6:14, 16 [read 2 Samuel 6:16-20 (14, 16)]: 14 David, dressed in a linen priestly vest, danced with all his strength before the Lord. 16 As the LORD’s chest entered David’s City, Saul’s daughter Michal was watching from a window. She saw King David jumping and dancing^H3769 before the LORD, and she lost all respect for him. (CEB); KJV: 14 And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. 16 And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul’s daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.; According to various versions of verse 14, David was wearing only a linen priestly vest. The Defender’s Study Bible: Michal’s sarcastic charge that David had “uncovered himself” (2 Samuel 6:20) while bringing the ark into Jerusalem was an exaggeration intended to show her displeasure at David’s display of religious emotion.; H3769 כָּרַר karar (kaw-rar’) v. to dance (literally whirling).; The Pulpit Commentary: The word used means the springing round in half circles to the sound of music.

3. Singing and Playing musical instruments

Psalms 144:9 [read Psalms 144:9-10 (9)]: God, I will sing a new song to you; sing praises to you with a ten-stringed harp. (CJB); KJV: I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.; Bibletools.org: properly, to touch the strings or parts of a musical instrument, i.e. play upon it; to make music, accompanied by the voice; hence to celebrate in song and music:–give praise, sing forth praises, psalms.; H2167 זָמַר zamar (zaw-mar’) v. to celebrate in song and music. [a primitive root (perhaps identical with H2168 through the idea of striking with the fingers)] KJV: give praise, sing forth praises, psalms. Compare: H5059, H7891

The Lord is Our Hope

1 Timothy 4:8-10 [read 1 Timothy 4:6-11 (8-10)]: Training the body has some value. But being godly has value in every way. It promises help for the life you are now living and the life to come. 9 This is the truth you can trust and accept completely.
10 This is why we work and try so hard. It’s because we have put our hope in the living God. He is the Savior of all people. Most of all, he is the Savior of those who believe. (NIRV); KJV: For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. 9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.
10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

Praise to God

Believe it or not, people were made for God (Isaiah 43:7 and 21; Colossians 1:16). In fact, as mentioned at the beginning, you were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God. Or simply, to praise God!

Ephesians 1:11-12 [read Ephesians 1:3-14 (11-12)]: Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. 12 God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. (NLT); KJV: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Praising God’s Wisdom

Romans 11:36 [read Romans 11:33-36 (36)]: Yes, God made all things, and everything continues through him and for him [because all things come from him, through him, and for him {All things are for his praise}]. To him be the glory forever! {Praise him for ever!} Amen. (EXB); KJV: For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.; Disciple’s Study Bible: God has made salvation available to all people but has left people free to reject it if they choose. Only those who believe share in salvation.

Now continue to talk about what the Lord has done and is doing in your life! Never stop praising the Lord God! I pray that you have enjoyed and will make the most of this Bible lesson. Blessings to you and your loved ones—♥ Tim. ☺