There is that great chorus I use to sing, but have not sung it in a while; “Thou the fig tree does not blossom and there be no fruit of the vine... yet will I rejoice in the Lord.” (Habakkuk 3:17)
How often I have thought those words, how often they have rung true to the fruit of my life and even today I must confess those words ring true. However we are not left to our own opinion whether we shall praise God or not. The very first word of the “Lord’s Prayer” reminds us that God’s name is t be hallowed. Praise is God’s most righteous due, and every Christian as a recipient of His grace, is bound to praise God from day to day. It is true that we have not been given any authoritative on how we should go about our daily praising. Nevertheless we have a new law written on our hearts that teaches us it is right to praise God; Paul encourages us to pray and sing,
1Corinthians 14:15 “What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.”
Although we are no longer under law but have been given liberty by grace through faith, this unwritten mandate comes to us with much force. Yes, it is the Christians duty to praise God. It is not only our reasonable service, but is the very pinnacle of a relationship with a triune God who first loved us, there was nothing to love, but on the contrary we were the enemies of God and yet he still chose to love us by sending His Son to die for us. We were once lost and on a road filled with destruction and our end ultimate disaster. BUT GOD, who is rich in mercy, called and saved all those who would be saved. It is not only a must for all Christians to praise God but it is now our obligation for this life as in the life to come we will continually praise our God, day and night. Not that we will have night as we now know it. Yet continuously our God will be praise face to face and in person by all his children. When we are heavy and the trails of life way us down, when we moan, let us not think that we are guiltless in this respect, or let us imagine that we may discharge our duty of singing songs of praise to our God. No, it is at these times we need to sing out even the more. We are bound by the bounds of His love to bless His name as long as we have life and breathe to praise His holy name, for He is worthy. So maybe that is why the fig tree does not blossom and there be no fruit on the vine. Maybe I am not rejoicing in my Saviour and maybe the cares of this life have begun to choke me. Look all and see, the Lord will be praise, call out unto Him, praise Him all ye saints praise Him. Gird the earth with your praises; may the melody of your praise fill the atmosphere so that God Himself will hearken from heaven and except the fruit of your lips and be well pleased with the music in His ears.
Signing Off
Tyrone
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