Teaching The Truth

"The LORD deals bountifully with men when He gives Himself unto them as their portion and inheritance; His Son, and all things along with Him, His Spirit, and the graces of it; and every daily needful supply of grace." (John Gill's Commentary) God is saying to you today through this message that the end will be different from the beginning. How will that be brought about? Because there is a God in heaven Who "deals bountifully with you." What your enemies are saying will never happen, He will make it happen!

"The fixed heart is resolved to 'sing and give praise' in spite of everything that might make sobs and tears choke the song." (Alexander MacLaren) Let me ask you today - do you have a "fixed" heart? Is your heart steadfast -steadfast with a fearless confidence in God? If it is, then, like David, in every situation in life, you will be ready and resolved to sing and give praise. How do you get a "fixed" heart? There are two ways - God has His part, and you have yours.

"Let it be blessed for ever, it shall be blessed for ever, it deserves to be blessed for ever, and we hope to be forever blessing it." (Matthew Henry) David seemingly had a revelation of Psalm 45:17 - the promise given to Messiah that His name would be remembered in all generations. He served his own generation by carrying on the fame of Messiah through the praise of His name. What about you? Will you serve your own generation by causing Jesus' name to be remembered through your praise of His name?

"Let us not forget that we have much to praise God for." (The Biblical Illustrator) In this Bible Message, we looked at the Grandest Resolution - "while I live will I praise the LORD." We saw that it is sparked by our being in covenant with God...that there is a certain manner in which it is done... there is a particular subject matter behind it...and that it is to follow us throughout this life into eternity. In this Bible Message, prayerfully you will view God and His due praises in a richer and fuller way.

No one grows who does not mean to grow." (The Biblical Illustrator) "The longer we live, the more expert we should grow in praising God and the more we should abound in it." (Matthew Henry) Let me ask you today - are you growing in praising God? Are you abounding in it? Like David, you can resolve to hope continually...to hope in all conditions...to never give up to despair...however painful your circumstances and condition...no matter the number, power, malice, and confidence of your enemies. David was resolved to praise God more and more. You must be resolved to do the same. It begins with preparing yourself. Stir up yourself and all that is within you to praise God. Dull and sleepy devotions are simply not acceptable!

"One thing - God is fixed, and it is a simple truth that man is never fixed until he is fixed upon God. Surely a house, as to its fixedness, depends upon the foundation...Oh! the heart can only be fixed according to the fixedness of that on which it rests." (The Biblical Illustrator) The heart is the main thing. Nothing is done to purpose in Christianity further than it is done with the heart. The heart must be fixed - set in order - before rendering praise. When the heart is fixed, there is salvation! God causes you to witness His saving power to the uttermost as you praise Him with a prepared heart!

"If we praise God as we ought, we shall be kept from praising ourselves. Surely that is good. I have heard that most self-made men are very apt to praise their maker; indeed we are all liable to sing the praises of self. The sure way of escaping this danger is to fill your heart and mouth with praise to God." (The Biblical Illustrator) In our teaching today, we saw from the word of God that the #1 reason why we praise God is because He is good! We also learned that we praise Him because it is a good thing for us to do so! To not praise Him is to defraud Him of that which He has a just claim to.

Daily praise should ascend from each of us to God, as the perfume of the daily sacrifice ascended in olden times; there must not be fewer sacrifices under the new dispensation than there were under the old; we are priests to offer unto God the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving." (Pulpit Commentary) David resolved to freely sacrifice unto God. In Psalm 54:6, he said - "I will freely sacrifice unto Thee..." He was resolved to offer a voluntary offering - a freewill offering. It would be the freewill offering of his mouth - a praise offering - "the calves of his lips" (Hosea 14:2) - "the fruit of his lips" (Hebrews 13:15) - the sacrifice of praise to God. Let me ask you - do you understand your role as a Christian priest? If so, are you daily covering God's altar with your sacrifice of praise?

"There is no reason to stagger at, or hesitate about any of the promises of God, since they are made by Him that cannot lie. His faithfulness is engaged to perform them; with Him all things are possible." (John Gill's Commentary) Is God seemingly delaying the manifestation of His favor to you - leaving you with nothing more than a promise from His Word? Like David, the Holy Spirit is saying for you to resolve to glory or boast in the promise of God with undiminished confidence. And then stand back and watch Him come through for you!

"He Who is Zion's God is Zion's King, head over all things to the church; and this is her joy and comfort in every age, that her God and her King reigns, and will reign forevermore..." (John Gill) Zion's God is Zion's King. Regardless of feelings, David was resolved to extol his God. He knew Him to be the great God and a great King. The greatness of his God and King compelled David to elevate Him high in his praises, thoughts, speech, and conversation. Do you have a revelation of God's greatness?