Psalm 134:2

January 26, 2016

Psalm 134:2... Lift up your hand in the sanctuary and praise the Lord...

The Lord is to be praised, "from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same." Here it says we are to praise him in the sanctuary. For us, that means in church. Of course, that also so means with others. There are many ways to praise him, through music and song, through prayer, and individual testimony of praise. We are exhorted here to praise him with raised hands. It is important to praise the Lord!

A and K, how do you praise the Lord? I am not much of a hand raiser. My generation scoffed at the older generation for doing such a silly thing as to raise you hand in praise to God. So, I determined to never raise my hand unless the Spirit moved me to do so not because everyone else did. I am sure that has hampered my expression of praise. The funny thing is, the same people who laughed at the older generation for doing so, take it to an extreme level today. Not only do they raise their hands, but now they sway back and forth and dance a jig to go with it. Now I am even less comfortable and even more determined not to follow until the Spirit moves me.

K, you have expressed to me your dismay with those at college who sway and wave their hands in praise to God in Convo and then later participate in ungodly habits like dancing, secular music, and R rated movie watching or other distasteful TV programs. You expressed how you thought this was so wrong and contradictory, hypocritical.

Daughters, this is an issue of the new church. I thought some the people of the past generations faked their "holiness" by waving their hand and crying testimonies. I always assumed though that they lived godly lives. But, I am dismayed with the lives of the contemporary church goer. If you see them worship, they are so "holy" but if you evaluate their lives, aspects of it are so wicked! Many of today's christians do not care how they act or what they do. They have been told, God loves them the same no matter how they act.

What will you be like, is the question? Will you act one way before friends and co-workers and different in the church. Will you be holy during worship only to live on filth when you are not. Remember, your lives are a witness to who you are. When you raise your hands in praise, it should mean that you want to be counted as one of his holy followers, not as someone who can really "get down" Instead, I pray that your holy life may be raised up to honor him.

~Dad