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Praise: The True Test of Human Character

Praise: The True Test of Human Character

What is Praise?

Praise is the conscious act of speaking well of God irrespective of circumstances. See Psalm 34:1-3; Psalm 145:1-3; Hebrews 13:15-16
Praise is the act of exalting or honoring God in the face of difficulty or opposing circumstances. See Psalm 138:1; 119:46; Habakkuk 3:17-19

There are two things that test human character, that is, prosperity and adversity. You can never really tell who a man is or what he is like until he is tested with prosperity and adversity. That is, you will really know who a man is by testing him with money and power or when he is tested with problems and pain. It is in those situations that a man’s true character is revealed. See Deuteronomy 8:1-18.

Deuteronomy 8:2 NKJV
And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.

Some people turn away from God when they prosper in a big way because they believe that they no longer need God. They see money and power as their sufficiency and they become proud, boastful and arrogant. They start looking down at others and exalting themselves presumptuously. Please kindly read Psalm 52:1-9.

Psalms 10:3-6
For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire;
He blesses the greedy and renounces the LORD.
The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;
God is in none of his thoughts.
His ways are always prospering;
Your judgments are far above, out of his sight;
As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.
He has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
I shall never be in adversity.”

When we become proud because of our prosperity and greatness, it turns God against us. Pride is offensive to God. Our lives start falling apart as the enemy of our soul pinches away and gnaws on the platform on which we have trusted. Then suddenly all the wealth, all the fame and all the grandeur is gone. Then we have to humble ourselves to go after God again.

If we will consistently give God glory for our progress, our prosperity and our wealth then God will keep on lifting us up but if we consistently arrogate to ourselves the credit for every little progress then our downfall is certain. Selah! See Proverbs 16:18-19; 2 Samuel 22:28; Job 40:11-13.

On the other hand, we need to ask ourselves what our attitude is when we experience hardships, setbacks or difficulties of any kind. Do we blame God? Do we complain? Do we murmur or speak against God? This exposes our hidden pride or sense of entitlement.

Adversity exposes the condition of our hearts. Many of us are proud and we don’t even know it. It is when trouble hits that our hearts are exposed and we realize that we have put our confidence in money, our own selves, our own righteousness or our own good works. That’s why many start blaming God. They begin to judge him as unfaithful, unreliable and unfair. This reveals our arrogance that we are more righteous than God. Mercy! Lord we are sorry!

Never blame God for what the devil has done. All the evil in our lives are works of the devil. He is the one who comes to steal, kill and destroy. But God gives freely. God adds. God does good. Only good. Your attitude in times of difficulty reveals your revelation of God. True humility will praise God because it knows that it could have been worse but God’s mercy spared you. See James 1:5 AMPC; John 10:10; Acts 10:38; Romans 8:31-32; James 1:17.

Let us all realize that we are what we are by the grace of God and we are where we are by the mercy of God, then whether we face a challenge or experience progress we will still praise God because it is He who will bring us out of any difficulty or sustain our progress. God is worthy to be praised at all times. Say Amen! Selah!