PRAISE 3

Genesis 29:35—She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.

Leah was not the favored wife of Jacob. He was in love with Rachel and only married Leah through her father’s deception. Imagine how it must have felt for this woman to compete with her sister for her spouse’s affection. Yet, when God saw the plight of this unloved woman, He opened her womb. She bore Jacob six sons! The fourth son she named Judah, which is derived from the Hebrew word yadah, meaning praise.

From Judah Israel’s mighty king David was born. From David comes the greatest book of praise in Scripture, Psalms. And into the singer’s lineage God sent heaven’s triumphant Song, Jesus, born to Joseph and Mary.

It is not by happenstance or cosmic coincidence that God selected the tribe of Judah to birth the world’s Savior. Nor should we be surprised that God loves praise. David wrote in Psalm 145:3, “Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom.” Later in 147:11,12 he shares, “the Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love. Extol the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion . . . ”

Do you want to gain victory over your worst afflictions? Praise God. Do you want to experience heaven’s blessings? Pay tribute to the Lord Almighty. The mark of God-pleasing belief is when we can look beyond the mess, past odious trials and suffering to hope in God’s unfailing love and acclaim Him. In this world we will suffer but suffering holds no power over us if we pump praise from our heart through every vein and corpuscle.

This Christmas, celebrate the birth of Jesus and remember that the Lion of Judah, is all about praise. No matter what your circumstance, sing by the grace of God with fervor these words found in Adolphe Adam’s song, O Holy Night:

Let all within us praise His holy name;
Christ is the Lord, Oh, praise His name forever!
His power and glory evermore proclaim!
His power and glory evermore proclaim!

Something to think about this Christmas . . . in reveration!

Inspiration
I have come to believe that the prayer of praise is the highest form of communion with God, and one that always releases a great deal of power into our lives. Praising Him is not something we do because we feel good; rather it is an act of obedience.—Merlin Carothers in Prison to Praise


Kenya 2007—Our team consists of 5 Americans, 1 Nigerian, 1 Benin and 1 Zambian. We leave January 16th but still require $9,200 to cover the expenses of our travel and lodging. We will be training 51 pastors gathered in the Kenyan city of Eldoret for the first week and then moving into different cities for training. Our training will involve leadership training, evangelism, and discipleship. Our goal is to equip the Kenyan leaders so they are more capable of training their countrymen and building the body of Christ. We will also be visiting orphanages and looking to form partnerships in providing money to needy orphans. Anyone interested in helping with our trip costs should send a check or money order to: First Cause/P.O. Box 626, Newberg, OR 97132. Please write “Kenya” in the memo portion. All gifts are tax deductible. More importantly, all gifts are eternal investments! Laus Deo! Also, any purchases of our Evidence or Of Seen and Unseen CDs go to help defray our costs. CDs cost $12.00.