In (Isaiah 61:3) we read one of my favorite phrases in the entire Bible: “…The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…” As I have shared in several past devotions one of the best ways to get out of being down and depressed is to start praising the Lord. Joy should be a hallmark characteristic of all Christians and when we praise the Lord, God promises to fill our hearts with joy.
One of the greatest privileges and one of the main reasons we were created is to worship and glorify Jesus. And friends it is no secret that Jesus longs to fill us with His joy. And praising the Lord is one of the best ways to glorify the Lord for we read: “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me…” (Psalm 50:23). And when you experience glorifying Jesus you can’t help but be filled with abundant joy!
The garment of praise is an essential piece of clothing that all Christians need to wear because it is the best way to combat a world that is full of negativity, trials, suffering, and evil. Just as we need to put on the whole armor of God, mentioned in (Ephesians 6), to combat the wiles of the devil, we need to put on the garment of praise when we are feeling down and heavy laden. Praise is the great antidote to combat a spirit of heaviness, feelings of inferiority, and hopelessness.
When we praise God and know deep in our hearts that we are glorifying Jesus, I believe, we put a smile on God’s face. Understanding this incredible thought can’t help but fill us with the joy of the Lord. And the exciting thing is that this joy can be experienced through the good and difficult times alike because it isn’t based on feelings but on knowing who we are in Christ. When we realize that we are of infinite value to God and that one of His greatest delights is to lavish His myriad of blessings on us, how can we not just overflow with praise and joy to our awesome Creator.
To me praise and joy are two sides of the same coin. When we praise Jesus, God promises to fill us with joy. And when we are full of joy our greatest desire should be to praise the Lord. So, the next time you are feeling down, why not begin to praise the Lord, and watch how His joy will help sustain you through even the darkest of valleys.