The Power of Praise

First Assembly of God of Greater Lansing was built on the outskirts of East Lansing in 1977 where (at the time) only a few homes existed. Over the course of the last 30 years the surrounding landscape has changed dramatically. Nearby homes are being torn down making way for more office buildings, banks, etc. What once occupied a place of importance is now a memory. In 2 Chronicles 32 King Sennacherib of Assyria prepares to attack Judah. He boastfully taunts the people of Jerusalem, casts doubt on their king and makes light of God’s ability predicting Judah’s demise. But King Hezekiah, sensing Judah was about to become a memory, calls for the prophet Isaiah. Together they cry out to the Lord and God miraculously answers their prayer by sending an angel to the Assyrian encampment. Over night the Assyrian army and leadership structure is destroyed, silencing Sennecherib's boasting. But in the shadow of this incredible personal victory King Hezekiah becomes deathly ill. Out of options, Hezekiah again reaches out to the prophet Isaiah. This time Isaiah tells him plainly, “Set your affairs in order for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.” The king wonders, why now? What about your plan for my life? What about my leadership? What about the people? There's so much more to do." Hezekiah was one of a few truly good kings. Realizing his God given abilities were powerless over illness, Hezekiah finally throws out the clutter and declares in Isaiah 38, “for the dead cannot praise you; they cannot raise their voices in praise. Those who go down to the grave can no longer hope in your faithfulness. Only the living can praise you as I do today.” The power of praise is an incredible thing! Powerful enough in fact it caused God to reconsider and Isaiah was sent back to Hezekiah giving him 15 more years of life. There is a place within man created by God where only His presence should dwell. But life tends to encroach on this place—filling it with desires, thoughts of self sufficiency and self importance. God will eventually expect the clutter to be removed. It's all about Him, not us. Praise to God from a truly humble, repentant, thankful heart can be like a bulldozer knocking over dwellings on property intended for something else. A house that once took up a large space after the leveling fills two large dumpsters. So it is with man's thoughts of self importance. It occupies too much space on very valuable real estate. Good King Hezekiah’s tendency was pride. Whatever tendency encroaches God's plan must be recognized and adjustments made. Ultimately, it's the Lord working that brings about anything worth mentioning. All praise to Him!
God is good,
Tim Covert
Tags: Christian Music, Devotional, Worship