The Circle of Praise

“You shall bless the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.” DEUTERONOMY 8:10When you experience the blessing of God, one of two things will happen. The first thing that can happen is that God’s blessing increases your gratitude and love for the Lord. That’s the circle of praise, and here is what it looks like:1. You fear the Lord: “You shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him” (8:6). Fear the Lord as you love Him and love the Lord as you fear Him. Give weight to the Lord in all your ways. Hear what He says. Do what He commands.2. You experience God’s blessing: “For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land... a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing” (8:7, 9). If you fear the Lord, if He carries weight in your life, and you love Him as you fear Him and fear Him as you love Him, then the blessing of God will lead you to praise.3. You praise the Lord: “You shall bless the LORD your God for the good land he has given you” (8:10). If you fear the Lord, then when His blessing comes, you will say, “All that I have is from His hand,” and the very act of praise will lead you back to the Lord and complete the circle.4. You don’t forget the Lord: “Take care lest you forget the LORD your God” (8:11). If you fear the Lord, His blessing will lead you to praise. Praise calls His goodness to mind, so you are in awe of His goodness, and the circle of praise continues. That’s where you want to be. Can you identify a season when you experienced the circle of praise?Written by Colin SmithRead by Sue McLeish www.openthebible.org.uk