ESOCS Devotional 2 December 2024 – The Importance of Praise
MEMORY VERSE: “And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.”Isaiah 12:1 KJV
TEXT: ISAIAH 12:1-6
And in that day you will say:
“O Lord, I will praise You;
Though You were angry with me,
Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.
2 Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
‘For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation.’ ”
3 Therefore with joy you will draw water
From the wells of salvation.
4 And in that day you will say:
“Praise the Lord, call upon His name;
Declare His deeds among the peoples,
Make mention that His name is exalted.
5 Sing to the Lord,
For He has done excellent things;
This is known in all the earth.
6 Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion,
For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!”
Read Other ESOCS Devotional Here
According to Dr. Ryan Fraser, “Praise is indeed a potent and restorative tool. It changes us for the better by refocusing our affections, realigning our priorities, and restoring our souls. Our spirit becomes more pliable, open, and receptive to receiving God’s Holy Spirit.”
In our text, Isaiah finds reasons to offer praise and thanksgiving unto God, as he explains that through it, God’s anger is turned away and in place of it, comfort; and that He is our salvation. Therefore, we have nothing to be afraid of (Isaiah 12:1-2).
Praise is one of the devices by which we can express our love for God and for all He has done for us (Isaiah 12:2). We are able to appreciate Him properly and give Him the respect He deserves (Isaiah 12:4–5).
Praise helps to lift your spirit. There’s no doubt we have a lot in our world today to be discouraged about. But Psalm 42:5-6 reminds us to both praise God and remember what He has done in our lives when we’re down. The world is looking for hope. As Jesus followers, we know the only real reason for hope. That’s why worship is so energizing. It takes your eyes off of your troubles and puts them on Jesus.
God commands us to always praise Him (Psalm 150: 6) and to make the world know what He has done for us in delivering us from bondage of sin ((Luke 8:39). Our perpetual praise provides a clear and unhindered passage to God. Therefore, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise” (Psalm 100:4).
Praise until you see your circumstances change!
- Have you praised God today? What will be your reason for praising God?
- Father, let all that I do always bring praise to Your name and grant me the grace to always praise and worship You all the days of my life, in Jesus name.
Further Reading: Genesis 32:23–33:11; John 10:22–end; Revelation 16:12- end
ESOCS Devotional 2 December 2024
