What do you praise God for?

My Step with God
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As I’ve read Psalm 100 and Psalm 145 for the daily readings this week, I’ve been struck by their celebration of God and by the call to praise Him in Psalm 145:4-7.

4 One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

So I was wondering what you’re celebrating about God and praising Him for in this season of life and I wanted to share what I am praising Him for at this time too!

I love how the first thing that Psalm 145 turns to after the call to praise is a quote of Exodus 34:6,

The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

God’s steadfast love is the first thing that comes to my mind in praise of Him as well! The remarkable forgiveness and love towards the Israelites in being present with them and leading them even after they betrayed Him through the creation and worship of the golden calf (which is the context of Exodus 34). The even greater forgiveness and love toward all who turn to Him through the coming of Christ, His willing sacrifice, and the resurrection life He brings. Finally, in the love and forgiveness He shows towards me in all the ways that I sin or fall short. Like the Israelites and the lost sheep, He never stops pursuing me, always drawing me back to Him when I start to wander.

In this season of life I am also so grateful for the opportunity to learn more about His word, the kind, pastoral heart of my professors, and the many people through whom God has shown me his love, comfort, and encouragement.

Finally, as I sit looking out over a sparkling lake, I praise God for the beauty of his creation and the chance to enjoy it today.

I’m excited to hear what others are praising God for in their lives right now and to celebrate the greatness of God, His works, and His gifts together!

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Hi @blake :wave:

I missed the interactions in UP Community for some months. Glad to engage once again, and on this topic which I recently had the pleasure of experiencing.

The answer to this would be much the same as yours, the Lord’s faithfulness despite my own shortcomings. His abundant mercy and grace though I really deserve His wrath and judgment. And, like the icing on the cake, on two separate occasions, He allowed me to bring His message to the congregation and to our youth group. These privileges He gave helped me greatly to draw closer to Him. If I were to choose, I would not have entrusted myself of these roles; but He allowed me this honor as He knows me deeply more than I know myself.
Many times I had been given a role I don’t deserve, and it always helped me to become better than I was before that opportunity. It has been a pattern in my life that I learned from God. I would not have been as merciful with myself as He has been with me.

  1. I have been trained as a youth leader at 14 despite me being the youngest in the group
  2. At 23, I married a decent, though unbelieving wife who will later become a fellow believer (I would have ended with much worse twice had He not intervened)
  3. After an industrial accident at 26, I have been given an opportunity to be a Christian school staff (teacher) for 3 years despite not having a college degree
  4. I have been graciously pardoned by the brethren of an offense
  5. At 30, I was able to find a profession and regular employment despite my disadvantages (re: #3)
  6. And for the first time at 43, I am now praying for an opportunity to get promoted at my current work against all odds

Reading between the lines, you will find clues that I am not exactly a role model Christian. (For a clue in my spiritual ups and downs—it took me 7years to fill a journal with my devotional notes.) All of the above experiences were life changing for me. Each made me become more prayerful at the very least. And I will praise the Lord endlessly for His loving and gentle guidance in my life :pray:

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Thank you for this thought. Something I’m able to praise God for is how trustworthy he is. I know the Bible says it over and over, and I’ve always believed it, but I feel like recently I’ve tasted what it really means to know that God is trustworthy. What I mean is that he is safe to come to and be honest with, make confession, and cling desperately to. I’ve been reflecting on Psalm 103 recently and how it explains why God is so trustworthy.

Psalm 103:8 echoes what you shared from Exodus 34 about who God is:

Psalm 103:8 (ESV): The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

And as his nature is this, it will be of no surprise that God abounds in grace to us - that when we come to him with our sins and failures, He is so gracious to lavish forgiveness and favour on us if we’re truly repentant and humble before him:

Psalm 103:9–12 (ESV): He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

He is gentle with us, knowing our limitations and frailty. He doesn’t demand more of us than we can give, and he understands when we struggle. He made us and knows us completely:

Psalm 103:13–14 (ESV): As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
14 For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust.

My heart has been encouraged to trust God more and believe he really will care for me and lead me forward on paths where he will not forsake me or trick me, but I can always trust him and rest in his presence and grace. That has been a great reason to praise God recently.

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