Let’s just lift our hands and praise Him
Tonight I had the privilege of going to my first concert. I know right! Who would’ve thought at my age I would be going to concerts? Let me clarify, this wasn’t just any concert, this was a concert by a Christian group called, “CASTING CROWNS.” My husband and I had just driven 13 hours coming home from my granddaughter’s 16th birthday party in Texas, trying to make it to the draft horse show at the Porter County fair to see some of my other grandchildren show in that event. We didn’t make it to the horse show, but we arrived in time to see the concert of ‘Casting Crowns.’ The weather had turned cool and rainy, quite opposite of the hot, dry 105° days we spent in Fredericksburg Texas. Luckily, we both had jackets in the car, one small Totes umbrella, and two pathetic little blankets that we got free in the mail. Off we went to the concert prepared, or so we thought, for the weather. The stands were full, but not packed, just like the extra seating they set up on the track. We had really good seats, and we could see the stage plainly, until the first song started and everyone stood up. It began misting, more than a little bit, and we were afraid they would cancel the concert. But the performers of the band proved to be troopers, staying as the rain progressed, coming down a little harder. A fair official came on stage and said this would be the last song because of the danger of shorting out the instruments. When they announced that because of the rain this would be their last song, the whole crowd groaned in unison. The lead singer led in prayer and commenced to sing the song when the prayer was over. Before the song was over the rain stopped, allowing the concert to continue for a little while longer. During the whole concert people in the stands and the other seating areas were singing along and raising their hands in praise. I never saw so many people with rain ponchos and umbrellas in one place. It did not dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd, they just stood in the rain and praised the Lord.
Of course when the rain came down a little harder they did cut the concert short, which again was met with an audible, unified, moan from the audience. Even though we understand the hazards of electricity and rain getting together, we couldn’t hide our disappointment that such a wonderful experience had come to an end. It begs to ask the question then when was the last time any of us ran out in the rain, lifted our hands to heaven, and praised the Lord? Do we have to pay for a ticket for the privilege of praising our Lord? It is no secret that I was raised Baptist, and one of the things our preacher use to say was, “you can’t go anywhere else and get such good entertainment for a dollar.” Of course the preacher was referring to the dollar some of the people put in the collection plate, but the entertainment he was referring to was the sheer joy of singing praises to the Lord. One of the most enjoyable part of that evening was watching the crowd. It made my heart so happy to see so many young people, and young adults, raising their hands in praise and singing their hearts out in the rain. They didn’t care who was watching, and they didn’t care if it was politically correct, they just praised the Lord with all their heart! How can we not praise Him when we are so privileged in this country, to have the freedom of religion, to gather like this and openly praise our Lord and God?
As parents it is important that we teach our children what praise is all about, why we should do it, when we should do it, and to whom we should do it. The answers are all found in the Word of God, if you would just open the pages and read it, you can’t help but want to praise the Lord. There will be many times in your child’s life that they will need the Scriptures to fall back on, and the reason to praise the Lord should be hidden in their hearts.
We as authors praise people in our writings on a regular basis. I do not believe there is a single person alive or past that deserves the praise that our heavenly father deserves. I think it would be prudent to make people aware of that in our writings. To keep up with tradition, I am closing with a song appropriate for the subject.
LET’S JUST PRAISE THE LORD!
By Bill Gaither
Let’s just praise the Lord, praise the Lord
Let’s just lift our hands to heaven
And praise the Lord
Let’s just praise the Lord, praise the Lord
Let’s just lift our hands to heaven
And praise the Lord
Let’s just love the Lord
Let’s just worship the Lord
The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Revelations 4:10-11
And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
I Peter 5:4
For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.
Psalms 21:3
And if a man also strive for masteries, [yet] is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
II Timothy 2:5
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”
II Peter 3:8