“Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord.” (Psalm 134:1-2 NIV)
We just returned from district council. It was our first post-pandemic meeting and it was a wonderful time together. We talked at length about the work of the church: preaching, teaching, character development and discipleship, dealing with trauma, discouragement and criticism, and how to go about fulfilling the great commission in a post-christian culture. Yet this morning, I read Psalm 134 and I realize, the primary work of the pastor is praise. It’s our personal commitment to glorify God through everything and anything that strengthens us to serve faithfully in all other capacities.
When we think about praising our way through challenging circumstances, we can’t help but think of Job. And we needn’t read too far into his story to find his theology. In the immediate moments after his greatest loss, Job fell on his face in before the Lord.
“At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I cam from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart The Lord gave the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”” (Job 1:20-21 NIV)
Job’s praise was powerful. For forty-some chapters, praise corrected his perspective. See, pain and trauma can distort our vision, they can interfere with our understanding of God. Praise puts everything back into proper focus. Look at the very next verse:
“In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.” (Job 1:22 NIV)
Praise kept Job from flinging false accusation at a holy and good God. Praise insulates us from sin.
No matter our situation, it is the ongoing work of the minister to keep praising God. Praise is the pastor’s primary responsibility because praise is the hope of the people. People will not go where they need to if the the pastor isn’t leading by example. Plus, praise provides the fuel we need for everything else we put our hand to.
Lord, please help us in all situations. When You see fit to add and when You decide to subtract. When we understand and when we are confused. When life is going well and when it feels like a hot mess. Let us praise You until our heart catches up with Your truth; and then we can’t help but praise You. You are good and worthy to be praised. Amen.