Praise God!

Seven weeks to go until Baby Baird is due, and I find myself becoming more and more introspective. Maybe it's because there is a person with his/her own will inside my abdomen, waking when I want to sleep, stretching when I'm taking a breath, and kicking when I'm trying to sing (although, I take that as a sign that he/she likes music!). My introversion may also be due to some heart-wrenching news from my brother-in-law's church, on top of my long list of 'things to do before baby arrives', and general fatigue…

Whatever it is, I know that I haven't been praising God as I should. It's not that I'm NOT thankful for the healthy baby, the time to be with my children and my friends, or the energy to do my lesson-planning, but I have forgotten to express my gratitude to the Giver of Gifts. I have forgotten to be actively praising Him. And I admit there is the part of me that is selfish and whiny, envious of the things I know I will lose (like sleep), wondering how I will handle a newborn on top of everything else I do. And then there is the part of my heart that is hurting so much from the horrible news, that it doesn't want to praise God, or even know how to do so. But my head tells my heart that I must praise Him, because He is deserving of it, and I know from past experience that whenever I praise God, my heart is lifted and my strength restored. 

As soon as this realization hit me, my mind jumped to the recent sermon series at our church. Did you know that while we have ONE word for 'praise' in the English Bible, the original language has SEVEN?! Our church body has been exploring these seven words and learning that praise is much more than singing in a building on a Sunday morning. We have learned that praise is sacrifice, music, shouting, adoration, and serving in the Body. It can be physical, but more importantly, it is internal-- it is not enough to sing or lift your hands if your heart is hard.

So now I can meditate on seven ways to praise the Lord. Instead of resorting to my usual "thank you God for…", I know that praising can be spontaneous or intentional. It can be quiet or loud. I don't have to raise my hands, but I also don't have to worry about what other people would think if I do raise my hands. Let me share with you these Hebrew words for praise:

zamar- to make music
yadah- to shoot hands upward
todah- hands in front with palms up; an offering of thanksgiving, to surrender, to receive
halal- explosive, uncontainable praise (as in 'hallelulujah!')
barak- to bow or kneel; submission
shabach- to shout or be loud; to commend
tehillah- to sing

And here is an example of how these words are used in the original text. See how reading the text with the different forms of praise adds such color and depth to the passage!

My heart is steadfast, O God!
I will zamar with all my being!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
I will yadah to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will tehillah to you among the nations.
~ Psalm 108:1-3 (ESV)

Different Bible translations will have different ways of expressing these forms of praise-- some are specific and say "music" or "sing" when the words zamar or tehillah are used. But sometimes, the translation simply states 'praise'.  If you are one who loves to study the Word in the original Greek or Hebrew, there is a free computer program that will translate the English text for you. It is called e-sword, and you can download it here: e-sword. There is also an app for your phone, called Accordance, if you would rather have a portable version.

What is most helpful to me is knowing that I CAN praise God even when I am not wanting to tehillah or halal. When my heart is heavy, that is when I todah. When I am confessing, I barak. When I am in awe, I yadah.

Meditate on these words. There is much to praise God for. Even when it's difficult, and our souls are not wanting to do so, we can praise Him. And remember, it is not about your motions or emotions-- it is about your heart, and giving praise to the One who is sovereign and holy.