Don Potter /// Praise is the Strategy

Praise isn’t just a sweet song to the Lord, it is a powerful weapon. How? I’m glad you asked! We have to overcome selfishness, narcissism, pride, and a plethora of issues (otherwise known as the sin nature)  in order to even enter into the thought of praise. The first battle is from within.

Human beings were given a gift from God to make something out of nothing. However, this gift is meant to be used in innocence and purity so that it would be an acceptable offering to God. Our original design is that we are made in the image of God, in like character and representation of Him. We are made to be the best (through integrity and purity / character values) in our creativity so that we can present something beautiful to God. We are shaping and setting a jewel as a gift to God. This jewel used to be a rock buried in the earth. Now, it is cleaned, cut, and has light reflecting through facets to reveal the beauty from within. Praise is the song born from the journey of creating something beautiful with no agenda other than to present something lovely back to God.

Lucifer sinned in that he took this beautiful gift and began to market it. Creating something out of nothing quickly to gain favor and attention towards himself. Traveling from one place to another with no regard to the chaos he left behind. What had begun as praise became cheap imitations of beauty.  The imitations didn’t have the clarity, color, ability to pass light through, or strength that the original praise did. These imitations were fast, loose, and easy. Promising delight and pleasure while leaving you feeling hollow, empty, and full of shame. 

Praise takes our eyes, time, and attention off of us and foolish pleasures/sin nature and allows God to work in and through us to be the beautiful gem He always intended us to be. He creates us out of nothing, breathes life into us and gives us His son who brings us life and life more abundantly. Jesus is the light that shines through our facets to reveal the nature and character of our Creator. Pure praise born out of innocence with no agenda but to delight our God is a powerful weapon. It completely dispels darkness/sin through beauty of the radiant light!