“Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord. They rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness.” ~Psalm 89:15, 16
What does it mean to acclaim the Lord? The word “acclaim” means to greet with strong approval or loud applause, to hail or to cheer. In other words, taken within the context of scripture, it means, “praise the Lord” and “rejoice in the truth that He is God and His name is above all others.”
As we learn how to praise Him, or perhaps more significantly, as we are willing to praise Him, scripture declares that “we will walk in the light of His presence.” We are living in a time of great peril and spiritual darkness. To focus on the deteriorating condition of our society, rather than keeping our eyes on Jesus, will overwhelm us. Often we experience sorrow and great difficulty on a personal level, as well as worldwide devastation. The issues of life are challenging and at times very hard to deal with.
Walking in the light of His presence is the only way we will truly be encouraged and hopeful. He causes us to “rejoice in His Name” and “exult in His righteousness,” lifting us above our surrounding circumstance and offering help and solutions for difficult problems. Scripture teaches us that He lives in the praises of His people. We will not survive on only occasional visitations of the presence of God in our lives. What we need is a habitation of His presence.
“Anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) As we believe, and are willing to bring to him the offering of our praise, He lives in us! When we praise and worship our God, a transformation happens that is supernatural and sometimes difficult to explain. We can only say that surrounded by His presence, He lifts our burdens and fills us with His joy. He elevates us above our circumstance, removes our fear and gives us His peace. (John 14:27)
Today, praise Him! Allow the light of His presence to illuminate your life and dispel any darkness. Let the Lord “turn your mourning into dancing” and give you peace and confidence. (Jeremiah 31:13)
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