By Zac Poonen
Life will become wretched for you, if you constantly keep feeling that you are not good enough to be accepted by God. You must never moan like that, but instead thank God that He has accepted you just as you are – in Christ.
Thank and praise the Lord every time you think of all that God has taken you through. All thoughts of complaining and grumbling must be equated with dirty, sexual thoughts – to be avoided completely.
Nothing coming from outside you can ever contaminate you if your `elimination system’ is working properly ( Mark 7:18-23 ). You have to develop the habit of being blind and deaf to many external things ( Isa.42:19 , 20 ). All that you see and hear must be sorted out in your mind first. Many of those things must be eliminated from your mind immediately – for example, the evils that others have done to you, anxious thoughts about the future etc. Only then will you be able to remain at rest in all circumstances and praise the Lord.
Jesus has come to give us the spirit of praise and gladness ( Isa.61:1-3 ). He Himself sang a hymn before going to Calvary ( Matt.26:30 ). And He is now the song-leader in the church (Heb.2:12).
When we praise God, we make a throne for Him in our hearts ( Psa.22:3 ). The proof of our faith is that we sing His praise ( Psa.106:12). Thus, you prove that you believe that God sits on the throne of the universe and that all the things that are happening in your life are with His express permission. (“He knows every detail of what is happening to me” – Job 23:10 Living).
The most absolute statement about the sovereignty of God in the Bible was made by Nebuchadnezzar after he was disciplined by God. He said, “God looks on the people of the earth as nothing. Angels in heaven and people on earth are all under His control. No-one can oppose His will or question what He does ” ( Dan.4:35-Good News Bible). That is when Nebuchadnezzar” became sane“ ( Dan.4:36). And that is what every sane believer will believe. That is the faith God wants us to have. Such believers will praise God at all times and in every situation.
When the scribes and rulers complained that the infants were making a lot of noise shouting praises in the temple, Jesus said that praise was actually perfectly offered only by babes ( Matt.21:16 , quoting Psalm 8:2– “You have taught the little children to praise You perfectly” – Living Bible). That teaches us that what makes our praise acceptable to God are not the words we use, but humility and purity of heart (for those are what all babes have).
Babes also never murmur or complain – and that is another thing that makes our praise acceptable to God. When there is not even a smell of a murmur or complaint in our lives, morning, noon or night, seven days of the week, every week of every year, then our praise is no longer a ritual performed on Sunday mornings, but part of our daily lives. And God is delighted with such praise – even if we sing out of tune!!