Four ways and three reasons for praising the Lord - Excerpt/Review from My Daily Devotions for Facebook by James Thomas Lee, Jr.

Four ways and three reasons for praising the Lord
(16 January) 

Bible Passage: Psalm 100:4-5 Today's Reading: "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." 

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The author and the purpose of psalm one hundred cannot be known for sure because it does not have an inscription. But the psalmist had obviously had an attitude of gratitude for all of the positive benefits to those who have come to the Lord by faith to be saved. 

In the above quoted passage, he had identified four ways and three reasons for praising the Lord. The first way is with a thankful heart. That is what the psalmist had meant when he had written to enter the Lord's gates with thanksgiving. The Hebrew word that he had used for "thanksgiving" literally means to praise something or someone with a thankful heart. 

The second way to praise Him is with praise. The Hebrew word that had been used for "praise" in the above passage actually means to praise something or someone with a hymn of praise. So the psalmist's idea of praising the Lord had been to sing praises unto Him. 

The third way is by being thankful. The Hebrew word that had been used for "thankful" literally means to praise something or someone with uplifted hands.

Finally, the fourth way to praise the Lord is expressed by the word "bless." That Hebrew word means to praise something or someone by bowing down before it. So the psalmist had written to praise the Lord by falling prostrate before Him. 

The three reasons for praising Him in those four ways are because of His goodness, His mercy, and His truth. So according to the psalmist, every saint of God has those three reasons for praising the Lord. 

First, God is good. That does not just mean that He does good things. It means that He is by definition everything that is good. He is also worthy of much praise because He is merciful. Every person who has ever been or who will ever be born enters this existence separated by sin from the Lord.

 So God gave His only begotten Son to die on the cross to pay the human sin debt so that lost sinners can come to Him by faith and receive His mercy. The psalmist had written that the Lord's mercy is everlasting simply because it lasts forever. The third reason to praise Him is because He is truth. That means that one can come to Him by faith and then be in a personal relationship with Him as the "Creator of Everything." 

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I have been thankful for having this and at least two other daily devotional books as ebooks which I can easily access. This one I bought just out of curiosity as to why Facebook was part of the title... Since I'm on that site every day, I was curious...

What I found, in format, was not too different from other similar books. There is a topic heading, a scripture, and then a short discussion of the scripture by the author.  I don't bother with the dates. Whenever I begin, I just read daily from that point on...

Today's scripture was about Praising the Lord. My mind immediately went to the song based upon that scripture, I Will Enter the Gates... For me, music has always been part of any worship event. So as I read/listened to the devotion leader, I was overwhelmed with songs in support of his words...Do you do that, I wondered. It doesn't matter. Because the words are there to guide you in spending time, perhaps just a few minutes for each day, in dedicating time for daily communication.

Sometimes when you have no words to begin praying, this type of book is a wonderful way to turn away from the world and consider How Great Thou Art and tell him so...

Sometimes you may need to read more than just one page...maybe you will continue reading on until you have fulfilled that need. Each of the devotions can be read, considered, and explored as long as you wish...and the value of having them as an ebook allows you to take a break often from other daily matters.

The author is a prolific writer on the study of the Bible. This is my first book but I have found his messages of value, either guiding you to praise Him or to study a specific subject... I think you will gain wonderful insight in studying the scripture and devoting time to God during each day. Develop the habit and then move on to prayer or more... Highly recommended.

GABixlerReviews

I became a Christian on 12/14/67. I have been married for 47 years. My wife and I have 5 grown children, 17 grandchildren, and 9 great-grandchildren. I received an undergraduate degree from Old Dominion University in 1972. Additionally, I have received graduate degrees from the College of William and Mary in 1975, Liberty University in 1993, and Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in 2001. 

Of all of the books that I have written, my favorite and still the one that I would most like others to read is my personal testimony. The name of that book is "Finding My Way Home."