2 Corinthians 1:3
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.”
“Let us enter into a time of praises” - an all too familiar line.
A time mostly characterised by singing and some form of physical activity. Mostly accompanied by enough rhythmic sounds to get you grooving or at the very least clapping if not dancing. It is a joyous time, filled with displays of emotion from people of all ages, singing songs that for others either elicit strong waves of nostalgia or others, a golden opportunity to choreograph the latest dance. A joyous time, a sense of carefree-ness, an opportunity to be a child in the presence of God once more.
But is praising God relegated to just a time of physical exertion only? what does it mean to praise God?
The context for our anchor text is very telling.
From the later verses 5-7, it's clear Paul and his co-workers were suffering. Later on in this letter, he describes some of these sufferings: "Imprisoned frequently, lashed by fellow Jews, beaten with rods, stoned, shipwrecked often hungry, thirsty, without water, sleep. (chapter 11: 23-28)
Do you get the picture? Gloomy stuff. Nothing worthy of praise, yet it is against this backdrop that he starts his exhortation by praising God, the Father of compassion. The God of all comfort who comforts us in all our troubles - he called God.
There’s a lesson for us here. Despite his current circumstances, Paul praised praise God as his source of comfort and compassion.
But this is not always easy, not always comfortable, why praise in difficulty when it is easier not to?
Praising God magnifies Him in our eyes. It reminds us of God’s nature and goodness and helps us celebrate it. During it, our focus is shifted from ourselves to God, that is the blessing. When we praise God we lift Him in our hearts. And when we do we gain a new perspective of our current circumstance. When we magnify God in our hearts, we learn how small and surmountable our present circumstance is, in God's eyes. The realization is both humbling and awe-inspiring.
I'll leave you with the first 4 verses of this beautiful Psalm 19 In which David pens how creation offers wordless praise to God.
Heaven is declaring God’s glory;
the sky is proclaiming his handiwork.
One day gushes the news to the next,
and one night informs another what needs to be known.
Of course, there’s no speech, no words—
their voices can’t be heard—
but their sound extends throughout the world;
their words reach the ends of the earth.
This month let's offer our words of praise. Let us join with creation and with Paul and
recognise God as the Father of comfort.
The one who comforts us.
Cheers!
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