The Rocks? They can't cry out, can they?

Every third Wednesday in the Guntersville Youth Ministry is the night we call Primetime Praise. We spend the entire hour in praise of some sort. Usually we sing, pray, read scriptures, commune with each other, and participate in other acts of worship.

I love a good period of praise time. Its a little different when you're the one who puts it together and has to lead it. However, tonight, I was brought to a realization. If we don't praise God, God will get His praise from something.

First of all, let's understand that praising God should give us joy. I've always been under the assumption that worship is for God, but I don't necessarily agree with that completely anymore. Read this:

My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you – I, whom you have redeemed.
Psalm 71:23

Obviously David is telling us that joy is on his lips when he sings praises to God. When we praise God, it gives us joy, or at least it should. True worship, worship with our minds focused on our God, will give us joy. In return, if our worship is shallow, one should not expect to find joy.

And why would we want to worship in a shallow way? Remember that story in Luke, as Jesus is entering into the city on his donkey, with leaves spread on the road for his grand entrance? The Pharisees have the audacity to tell Jesus to get his disciples to stop singing and praising Him. Jesus follows up in Luke 19:40 by saying "If I tell them to stop, then the stones will start to cry out".

The rocks will cry out? Rocks don't cry. Rocks don't have emotion. Rocks aren't alive. So what does this mean? It means simply this: If you are just going through the motions of worship, if you just mumble along because you're supposed to, then you don't understand what it means to praise our God. If the plants and animals God created, the dirt and rocks that He placed on earth, if the pavement under your feet and the roof over your head were allowed, they would be praising God. They are just waiting for the chance.

And here we are with the ability to praise our God, and so many of us just don't get it. When Paul sang at the top of his lungs in prison, when David danced before the Lord, and when the disciples of the Lord sand and yelled in praise as Jesus approached the Mount of Olives, they meant it. They wanted but also needed to praise God...so they could have that joy it brings to them.

May we understand how to praise our God. May we search within our souls to find the depth of praise that we read about in God's Word. May we find the strength to let go ourselves, and give all the Praise to God.

Dear God, help us to praise You daily, by our words, our actions, our thoughts. Help us utilize that ability You gave us to praise You. Help us to understand the Rocks would love to cry out to You. You alone are worthy of our praise. Amen.