Prescription For Praise Let’s Get Jiggy With It
I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. Psalm 34:1-3
Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in the Sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high-sounding cymbals. Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. Psalm 150:1-6
One of the most raging controversies in the church today which needs the most attention is praise. Some controversies are only dealt with in a forum or a seminar, and they lose their Biblical meaning. But today, I want to address an issue that not only is it alright to do, but it is also Biblical correct. I want to began by saying that there is a difference in all of us doing worship service. Can I get a witness? You don’t have to be in charge long to notice that folk act differently in worship. But I come to tell you that the act of praise, the act of giving God glory and honor for the things that He has done should not be limited to just a few. But all of us should be fellow travelers in the areas of praise. Now don’t get me wrong, for our churches do have some folk in them who do love the Lord. Folk that don’t mind praising God. There are some who give God ultimate and unashamed praise and worship. There are those who lift up Holy hands and surrender themselves in worship service. Can I get a witness? As a matter of fact, in some of our churches, if it wasn’t for the one or two gathered in His name, some of our churches would be turned into a quiet retirement center or a cold cemetery rather than the place of praise. Can I get a witness?
If it wasn’t for the faithful few, there would not be any praise at all. It is the direct will of God that we as a people would fulfill the purpose for which God made us. God did not make us to sulk and sit. He did not make us to fold our arms and cross our legs. He did not make us to roll our eyes and grit our teeth. But the Lord created us to give Him praise. And not only are we to give God praise, but He is worthy to be praised. He’s due praise because of His Glory. He’s due praise because of His greatness. He’s due praise because of His Holiness. His wisdom. His power. His goodness. His loving kindness and mercy. He’s due praise because of His salvation and His wonderful works. And if grandmama was here today, she would tell you God is due praise, because He woke me up this morning and started me on my way. He’s my doctor in a sick room. He’s my balm in Gilead. And can I say this? We ought to praise God in the bad times as well as the good times. In other words, we ought to get jiggy with it.
The word jiggy comes from the word jig, which means to dance and not just any kind of dance, but a lively dance. Our praise ought to be such that folk around you will know that God has been good to you and that you love the Lord. Can I get a witness? The issue of praise is important because some folk are not just with it when it comes to praise. Some folk feel that we
shouldn’t lift up hands unto the Lord. Some folk feel that you ought to not say hallelujah or thank you Jesus. Some will have the nerve to tell you that you don’t have to stand before the presence of the Lord. Some folk feel that it’s not necessary to bow down and worship God. But I’ve got a problem with that. Because I’ve seen what God is able to do. I’ve experienced the power of God. And I feel that if God has done anything for you, you ought to praise Him. You ought to show some sign. In other words, let’s get jiggy with it. It use to be a time when folk would shout just thinking about the goodness of God. But now you have to pump folk up. You have beg folk just to say amen. John 3:17 says, “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. James 5:11 says, “Behold, we count them happy which endure.” I need to suggest to you that only folk can get happy. Mountains can’t get happy.
But the Bible said that if you don’t praise God, the rocks will cry out. You got to understand that praising God is not something you do because you got some extra time on your hand. But praise is mandatory for us. Everytime we get chance we ought jiggy with it. Nobody shouldn’t have to tell you to praise God. Nobody shouldn’t have to tell you that He’s worthy. I don’t know about you, I don’t know how you feel about it, but I come to praise Him. And it’s time to get jiggy with it. I will praise Him among the multitude. You need to know that because of my relationship with God, I can praise Him. Our text said, “Praise Him.” Forget folk around you, just praise Him. Forget how folk look at you, just praise Him. Praise Him with instruments. Praise Him without instruments. Praise Him deacons. Praise Him choir. Praise Him ushers. Praise Him Missionary. Praise Him, praise Him, Praise Him. You might not be able to play the piano or key board or beat the drums, you can praise Him. You might not can carry a note in a bucket, but you can praise Him. Just get jiggy with it.
You and I are aware of the fact that the praise of God in David’s view must be a continuous reality. And that is why David put emphasis on the experience of his life with the words, “I will bless the Lord at all times and His praise shall continually be in my mouth. David insist that in spite or despite the difficulties and dangers of his life, his experience with God has given him something to brag about. And I wonder today, if we can put ourselves in David’s position. I wonder if push come to shove, can we find ourselves praising God in spite of. I’m concern today, because so many of us, when trouble, trials and tribulations come, we are ready to give up on God. But I wander today that inspite of all that you’re going through, can you still have joy? When the words of this text was written, no doubt, David was feeling unkept, his clothes is soiled from his journey and his armor is dented and damaged from the rigors of the battle and yet in spite of all of that, David does some bragging. David says, my soul shall make her boast in the Lord. And if that’s not good enough, David adopts this parable of praise when he realizes that somebody else gains the benefit from his spiritual experience.
Somebody is drawn closer to the Lord because of what He does and what He says. Somebody else gain spiritual benefit by being in the same place so long that they gain a spiritual contact high. And that’s the reason for the praise. David says, “I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth, my soul shall make her boast in the Lord, the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.” When however, David has concluded his preamble of praise, he adds as it were an exclamation point. David says, “Oh magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together.” In other words David was saying I’m getting jiggy with it. Now my brothers and sisters the more I look at this, the more it appears to me that David is not only trying to show us the why of praise or the reason or praise, but David is trying to show us how to praise. It’s not too hard to understand. David is simply saying that praise is designed to magnify and not to minimize. It’s right there in those first words. David said, “Oh magnify.” Now it’s
hard for me to imagine how one goes through the process of magnifying God.
You see talking you’re about the God that breathed worlds into existence. This is the God that created the universe with His word. How do you magnify that? This is the God that sat the sun in its socket and crowned the moon as the queen of the night. How do you magnify that? I’m talking about the God that created heavens with the work of His fingers and scooped out the valleys with His footsteps and manufactured mountains with His will. This is the God that spat out the seven seas in a matter of seconds of time. This is the God that taught rivers how to run, taught brooks how to babble and put the green in grass and the wet in water. I’m talking about the God who taught time how to rotate from night to day and then from day to night. How do you magnify a God that one day took clay and formed man in His hand, loved him into existence and gave him CPR on the banks of time and blew into him the breath of life, how do you magnify that? Well, I’m glad you asked, because I’ve discovered that the process of magnifying has nothing to do with that which is already magnified. But it has to do with the one that participates in the magnifying. I’ve found out that whenever I look through a magnifying glass, it don’t change what it looks like.
It may look bigger, but it doesn’t change it’s outward appearance. Let me break this down for you. If look into a magnifying glass and see a mouse it’s still a mouse if I didn’t have a magnifying glass. You can’t change what it is. Because what it is, it is. Can it get a witness? Now you need to know that what changes is your perception. What changes is your understanding. What changes is your appreciation for that that is being magnified. When I magnify something, I can see it better. When I magnify, I can understand it better. When I magnify, I have a deeper appreciation for how and what it does. And that’s how it is with the Lord. When I magnify the Lord, I can’t change the Lord. I can’t make God any bigger than He already is. I can’t change Him Because the scripture tells us that He changes not. I cannot change God because the Book of Hebrews says, “He’s the same yesterday, today and forever.” Anybody on my street? But what we do change is how we view God. What do change is how we look at the priority of God in our lives.
What changes is the understanding of the power that God has. When you magnify the Lord, you will soon come to realize that whatever it is that happens in your life does not happen because of chance. What ever happens in your life does not happen because you were in the right place at the right time. Not is it because you have degrees on your wall. What happens in your life does not happen because you have some kind of power to be able to peek into the future. Whatever happens in your life does not happen because you call on Ms. Cleo. What happens in your life does not happen because of who’s president nor because of good fortune or good luck. What happens in your life, happens because somebody is in control. Can I get a witness? Whatever happens in your life happens because there is a God. And whenever you magnify the Lord you will discover that whatever else, you might think, God did it. The house that you live in, God did it. The car that you drive, God did it. The job that you drive, God did it. The salary that you make, God did it. The promotions and the positions you have, God did it. The scholarship you received, God did it. And all that David wants you and me to do is to stop looking at God through human eyes.
Stop looking at God through lenses that minimize and make God look less than God. Stop looking at God through stuff that won’t give God credit for being God. All David is saying, is that we need to look at God another way. And so, David says, Oh, magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together. Is anybody going to praise Him with me? Is so, let’s get jiggy
with it. Now if you don’t understand the logic of my thought here today, all I’m trying to tell you is that real praise find it’s definition when there is praying power. Real praise comes about when there is preaching power. When there is shouting power in the midst of worship. So not only does David insist that my praise should magnify God, but he insist that my praise could be a product of my problems. And I don’t know about you, but I’m not ashamed to admit that in my life I’ve had some problems. I’ve had some trials and tribulations. I’ve had some problems, and I might as well so ahead and admit the whole thing and that is that I’ve concluded that in my life I’m going to have some more problems.
I wonder if there’s anybody here beside me that know anything about problems? And not only that, but I’ve found out that you don’t have get up a search party to find problems. Problems have a way of finding you. As soon as you get rid of one problem, another problem rises up over there. By the time you get over a mole hill, there’s a mountain in your way. Somebody ought to help me. Somebody know what I’m talking about when I tell you that if it ain’t one thing it’s another. If it’s not your money, it’s your marriage. If it’s not your marriage, it’s your children. If it’s not your children, it’s your grandchildren. If it’s not your job, it’s your boss. If it’s not your finance, than it’s your health. If it’s not the ushers then it’s the choir. If it’s not the preacher, then it’s the deacons. If your car is running right, then your roof is leaking. If you get a little money in your pocket another bill comes due. All because if it ain’t one thing it’s another. And that’s why I wanted to tell you about problems and praise. Because whether you believe me or not, you can praise your way through your problems. Can I get a witness? Then lets get jiggy with it. And if anybody had problems, it was David. David had some problems.
There was Goliath. There was Saul. There was Absalom and Tamar. David had adultery in his house. David had incest in his house. He had murder in the house. I tell you David had some problems. But even though David had one problem after another, that same David now stand on the platform of history and dares to proclaim I will bless the Lord at all times and His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
* In other words, what David was saying is, I’m gonna bless the Lord anyhow. No matter what happens, I’m gonna bless Him anyhow. Come what may, anyhow. No matter how dark the night, anyhow. In poverty or in plenty, anyhow. If I’m forsaken or forgotten, David says, I will bless the Lord at all times. And you know I don’t know how you feel about it, but I feel just like David feel. No matter what, I’m gonna give God the Glory. The God we serve has brought me from a mighty long ways. And he has kept His arms of protection all around me.
Conclusion:
And you know I find myself asking the Lord to build a fence all around me. I want the Lord to protect me as I travel along the way. Yes, my Lord. But, no matter what happens, I’m gonna bless Him anyhow. Come what may, I’m going to get jiggy with. All because, I’ve found out that my problems draw me closer to the Lord. I found out that if you keep the Lord as head of you life, you will find out that your burdens will become the source of your blessings. You will find out that your heartaches will become the source of your HALLELUJAHS. You will find out that you have to go through disgrace in order to get to dignity. Your grief will lead you to glory. Your weakness will provide you with strength. You will find out that in sadness, God will give you joy and that your trials will lead you to victory. You got to understand that praise began when I understand who God is. Praise began when I understand that praise is in honor of God. I don’t know how it works, but the God that I serve specializes in taking your feet out of
the miry clay. The God I serve specializes in being a friend to the friendless. The God I serve, specializes in bringing down mountains and leveling out valleys. He’s a way maker. He’s a heart fixed and mind regulator. He’s a burden bearer and a heavy load carrier. Jesus is rock in a weary land. Shelter in time of a storm. Water in dry places. He’s bread in a starving land. He’s a bridge over troubled waters. And when I think about it, just how good He’s been, when I think about how He kept me and never left me, it makes me want to magnify Him. I’m going home when I tell you. I wonder today, if I can get somebody to help lift Him up. Help me lift up the name of Jesus. Yes, let’s get giggy with it. I can praise Him because I know that He’s a rock in a weary land. I can praise Him because He gives me a portion of my health and strength. I can praise Him because He’s able, yes I know that He’s able. Y’all have to excuse me this morning while I get my praise on. Excuse me while I get jiggy with it. All because I once was lost, but now I’m found. I’m getting jiggy with it because of the joy that the Lord has given me. Every time I think about how Jesus the Christ’s Calvary experience, I get jiggy with it.
Every time I think about how He carry my sins on an old rugged cross, I get jiggy with it. I don’t know how you feel about it, but I’m getting jiggy with it because He died for me. I’m getting jiggy with it because He keeps me and holds me in the hollow of His hands. I’m getting jiggy with it because He was bruised for my iniquity. Ain’t the Lord alright. Yes, I’m getting jiggy with it. I may not have all the things I want, but I’m getting jiggy with it. Might not have the car I want, but I’m getting jiggy with it. I may not be in the best of health, but I’m getting jiggy with it. Oh, Loving Peace, let’s get jiggy with. Don’t be ashamed to stand up and praise the Lord. Praise Him. Praise Him. Praise Him. Give God the glory. Come on deacons. Come on choir. Come on saints of God, let’s get jiggy with it. Is there anybody here who is going to praise Him with me? If you’re here today and you know that the Lord has been good to you. Stand on your feet and let’s get jiggy with it. Do the dance. Do the dance. Do the Holy dance. Let’s get jiggy with it. Ain’t the Lord alright? Ain’t the Lord alright? Say yeah, say yeah, say yeah, Oh, yeah. Let’s get jiggy with it. Let’s get jiggy with it. Let’s get jiggy with it.
