Do you ever just want to praise God? Just praise Him.

While down on your knees, driving down the road, taking a walk, in the middle of a work day, do you ever just want to praise Him?

Without asking for a thing, without talking about everything that's bothering you, without going into details about anything concerning you and yours, do you ever just want to praise Him for who He is?

It's hard to do, isn't it? Oh, it's easy to want to do it, just hard to do it, don't you think?

Why do you suppose that is the case? Of course, I'm assuming at this point that you agree with me that it's hard to just praise God.

Think about it. Take yourself back to childhood. Pick an age, any age. I think I'll go for 11 years old. Now, allow yourself to recall a time that you just wanted to talk to your parent about how wonderful he or she was. Oops... Never happened, huh?

Why do you suppose that is? Maybe it's because, when we do the ritualistic Mother's Day or Father's Day thing, we think we have done all we need to do in order to express the way we feel about a parent. After all, they know we love them and appreciate them and are aware of all they do for us.

Do they?

But we are talking God here. Right? Certainly God knows how we feel about all He is and all He does for us. After all, He knows everything.

Okay, let's explore this a bit more.

Let's say you have worked on a project at work or school for oh, three months, maybe. Poured your heart into it. Did the best you could. And you've come up with some pretty good end results.

The time comes for you to turn in your project. Your teacher or boss says, “Put it over there,” pointing to a small space on a crowded desk.

You lay three months of blood, sweat and tears on the allotted spot and out you go into the world to tackle the next project.

So?

It was your duty. You were given an assignment. You will get a grade or paycheck. What can one expect?

Not much in this day and age. We are all too busy to give thanks and praise, aren't we?

But imagine for a moment how you would have felt if your boss or teacher reached out their hand and accepted the project from your hand. Then, right there in front of you, the one who will appraise your work opens the pages, or sticks the disk in the computer, and brings your work up on the screen. He or she gazes long, reads intently, smiles, grimaces, and finally comments.

There might be this thing or that thing that he or she would like to have seen as part of the end results, but, over all, they are delighted with what you have accomplished. Then comes the “atta boy, or girl.” A firm handshake. Maybe a real pat on the back. A word of praise...

And you walk out feeling like a million dollars.

Am I assuming that God has feelings like you and me? Maybe.

Would I have the courage to approach the throne of God and point out to Him how I would have done things a bit differently, but, overall, I think He's doing a pretty good job? I shudder as I type these words knowing I've done that more than once. How He has managed to keep His cool and not write me off over the years, I'll never know this side of eternity.

I expect it's all because of Jesus. I can hear Him now, “But Father, I've been there. I know what she's going through. It's hard. Give her a break. Let's help her out again...”

And again. And again. And again... Not just at Easter, but all the time, everyday, we should thank God for Calvary, and praise Him for His goodness, mercy, and everlasting kindness to us. AND, whenever we can crawl out of own skins long enough, we ought to just praise Him for who He is.

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