I
always get a kick out of people who seem to make a living telling others what
to do.  I don’t mean like a natural born
leader who inspires you.  I mean the
person who sits down and dishes out orders while everyone feverishly works to
accomplish their desires. 

 

Have
you ever heard the expression “the view’s always better from the cheap seats”?  It seems we can amass a reputation of coaching
from our easy chairs instead of leading by example.  I don’t think this is a good business or
relationship tactic and I certainly know it is a faulty praise tactic.  Turning from addressing the nations of the
world, the Psalmist challenges us by turning to himself. 

 

13 I
will come to your temple with burnt offerings

and
fulfill my vows to you—

14 vows
my lips promised and my mouth spoke

when I
was in trouble.

15 I
will sacrifice fat animals to you

and an
offering of rams;

I will
offer bulls and goats.

 

Who
is coming to the Lord’s temple?  Who is
fulfilling their vows they made by their own lips?  Who is now sacrificing in praise and
worship?  It’s the psalmist himself.  After calling the nations to praise the Lord,
the psalmist is leading by example.  He
is saying, in essence, “Watch me!”  He’s
not saying this out of pride but out of passion.  Verse 14 tells us the psalmist made these vows
to God during a time of trouble.  It was
the Lord who delivered Him and he is thankful to God Almighty for
deliverance.  That’s not pride in himself
at all.  That’s boasting in the Lord!

16 Come
and hear, all you who fear God;

let me
tell you what he has done for me.

17 I
cried out to him with my mouth;

his
praise was on my tongue.

18 If
I had cherished sin in my heart,

the
Lord would not have listened;

19 but
God has surely listened

and
has heard my prayer.

20 Praise
be to God,

who
has not rejected my prayer

or
withheld his love from me!

 

“Come and hear,” the psalmist calls to all the righteous in
verse 16.  They are to listen to what the
Lord has done for him.  He wanted others
to hear his testimony of God’s faithfulness and love.  It’s so easy to simply address everyone else
but we are called to worship the Lord—you and me, as individuals.  Praise is not everyone else’s job, it’s OUR
job!  It’s MY job.  It’s YOUR job.