Encouraging yourself in the Lord Pt 9

So, what else could we possibly do to encourage ourselves in the Lord?  Well, I count at least 3 more, including the gem that we’re going to talk about today.  This is another one of those that helps us by bringing the Lord into the realm of our problem.  David talks a lot about this one in the Psalms.  This may be why he was so readily equipped to use it for encouragement in his own time of need.  It is the tool of praise.
David said in Psalm 22:3, ‘But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.’  The King James said that He inhabited the praises of Israel.  This is a principle with God.  He does this for His people.  When you praise Him, then He is there.  It’s like the verse that tells us that wherever 2 or 3 are gathered in His name, He is there.  (Matthew 18:20)  Some try to bring a lot of additional meaning out of His inhabiting our praises.  We’re not trying to go there.  The point is that if you praise Him, He is there.  Promised; guaranteed.  Incidentally, we know this for another reason.  It is promised, but He also manifests Himself to us in the act of praise.  How?  We are able to sense His presence when we praise Him.  I know that it’s a feeling, but, in this case, it is an accurate one.  This is because it is based on the promise that we have in these verses of Scripture.
When you praise Him and that sense of His presence comes, bask in it.  Keep praising Him.  Keep receiving the sweet sense of His presence.  Let it encourage you as you dwell in it.  Give Him back more praise.  Do you see the cycle?  You’ll see the result.  You’ll feel it.  You’ll find yourself encouraged in the Lord after a while.  Now you have another tool, a powerful one, right from the Holy Spirit through the pen of David himself. Use it!
Alright, we’re getting a full tool kit, but not completely full.  There are a couple of more that I’m aware of that I’ll share next week.  So, praise Him, pray to Him, seek an encourager, review what He’s done, fill your mind with good, use His Word, be thankful and sing it out!  Use these, because they’re not only a kit of tools, but a set of weapons against the discouragement of the enemy.  Use them!