Israel's chief cantor, king, and psalmist says it best in Psalm 150:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heaven!
Praise him for his mighty works;
praise his unequaled greatness!
Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn;
praise him with the lyre and harp!
Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;
praise him with strings and flutes!
Praise him with a clash of cymbals;
praise him with loud clanging cymbals.
Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
Just as it is beautiful and appropriate to revere the Presence of God in awe and silence, it is also beautiful and appropriate to approach the Presence of God with joy and exuberance. He is not offended by our vocal and instrumental expressions of love any more than you fathers out there when your children jump into your arms squealing, "Daddy's home!" after a long day of work. Our "noise of praise" that comes from hearts brimming with love brings our Father great pleasure because
praise from the upright is beautiful.
| Stay tuned for Part 2 with praise from around the world. |