To Praise or Not To Praise

Psalm 150:1 says "Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord."

This is a quote I use often in the signature of my emails I send out each day to family and friends. When I think of everything that has breath, I am reminded of my sweet Lhasa Apso's. I wonder how they praise the Lord. I know the Bible talks about even the rocks praising God. What an awesome concept. Things that do not even have life as we know it praise the Lord. So how much more should we living beings, created by almighty God, His very life breathed into us, praise Him?

I find in days of depression and frustration, it is not easy to praise the Lord. I know He tells us to count it all joy when trials and tribulations come our way, and they do. I try to reflect on scriptures like
Phil. 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice."

I remember how Jesus suffered so much and that we should not be above suffering ourselves when our precious Lord and Savior suffered much.

I will often put on praise and worship music to help me enter into the frame of mind I am to have at all times actually. God says "He inhabits the praises of His people." So what better place to be than in the very presence of God Himself? There is no better place to be.

Whether in good times, or in bad, whether during prosperity or poverty, when it shines or when it rains, I must choose to praise God if only because I have breath.

I can be thankful to Him because I am living this day, have a voice to sing praises with, hands to lift on high in adoration, and a heart that beats to the very rhythm of His calling. I will praise the Lord, with everything within me as long as I have breath!