Praise is the Fuel of Service

Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah. For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name. Thou wilt prolong the king's life: and his years as many generations. He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him. So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows. Psalms 61:1-8

I love this Psalm.  How we seek the Rock that is higher than us.  How we will be in the trust of the Lord.  How we are active.

By active I mean the vow.  The psalmist talks of the vows we make to Him.  To follow, to praise, to serve.  These are powerful promises to the Creator, our Father.  I know in my life it is hard to follow through sometimes.  The weight of the world comes.  Sin entangles and trips up my path.  My eyes grow dim and I retreat into the world.  How do we combat this?  The answer is the last verse.

So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.

Praise is the fuel.  We praise the Lord  SO we can perform our vows.  The praise.  When we put ourselves to praise we set our hearts in God's presence.  We set ourselves in proper perspective of submission and love.  We reaffirm our love.  We call out to our King.  When we start our day, our prayers, our readings in that state of mind we are letting the Holy Spirit function.  Too often in my life I start with me and apprach God as a fixer of problems and an academic exercise.

Let us sing praise!!  Fill up on praise-fuel.