Unconditional Praise
Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
Psalm 146:1-2 KJV
Despite holding high positions of authority on Earth, none can assist you after death. What a profound statement, but we sometimes supplant natural tendencies toward these authorities and find ourselves chasing futile choices like fame, money, and power. Put another way; we forget about the Kingdom of God and our responsibility to contribute to it. Rather, we replace Kingdom work with choices that allow us to build a self-made kingdom. To avoid this common pitfall, the Psalmist expresses unconditional praise as noted in Psalm 146:1-2, Praise the LORD…while I have any being.
Since our existence will extend into eternity, our praise will never cease. For instance, each of us celebrates our origin annually with birthday wishes, including cake and ice cream. This celebration is praiseworthy because it is the origin of our existence. Some of us celebrate our loved ones’ birthdays on social media even after they pass away, which signifies the importance of birthdays. However, a birthday celebration is incomparable to the celebration of a self-existing God. Who can forget that God provided a redemption plan for us through His Son, Jesus, our Savior, so we can avoid the ongoing separation from His presence? Thus, we must understand the significance of our roles in God’s Kingdom right now instead of waiting for eternity. Obviously, whatever you are doing, if it lacks clarity toward enhancing the Kingdom of God, it is irrelevant.
Remember, all earthy kingdoms will become submissive to Jesus’ reign and authority. Therefore, if we place our trust in positions of earthy authorities instead of Jesus’ authority when our world dissolves, we will have no reasons to praise the Lord in eternity. In other words, how can you praise the LORD in the future if you live solely to boost your status in this world? It is essential to remember that when we praise the LORD, we become submissive to His plans for our lives. Notice how the Apostle John records this event in Revelation 11:15: And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever. This Scripture alone gives you an idea of what lies ahead. Nevertheless, we must unconditionally initiate praise for the LORD from the bottom of our hearts. If we praise the LORD regardless of our expectations, we will grasp the meaning of Psalms 146:10: The Lord shall reign forever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the Lord.
So, the next time your prayers go unanswered, give God praise regardless. Create your perfect and pure praise from the heart by vividly saying Hallelujah, translated as Praise ye the LORD. Then you will understand the true meaning of While I live, I will Praise the LORD.