Echoes of Praise

1 Peter 2:9 

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a purposed people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: 

We are called to praise him. We are a purposed people, a people who's purpose it is to move towards a goal, and that goal is to shew forth the praise of him who called us. He who called us out of the depths of darkness and despair, who called to our hearts and appealed to us through his grace then reached out and carried us into the marvelous light of his presence. But how do we shew forth the praise of him who called us? How do we praise him? By living a life that points to him. By living so that all can see that something is different. That we are not like the rest of the world. We shew his praises by living, loving, and letting his grace fuel our lives. Matthew 5:16 says 

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

We must let our light shine. We cannot and should not hide our lights. He has called us into his glorious light so that we can shine as lights to this world. And when others see our lights, when they see that we have something that this world can never offer. We must live in such a way that this world sees something is different. And when they ask us how we can have hope when there is no hope in this life, when they ask us how we can be strong through times that would crush normal men. Then we simply point to our great father who is our hope, and gives us his strength. This is how we praise him, this Is how we shew forth praise to him who called us. 

John 15:8

Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

God is calling us to bear fruits. To cultivate our gifts and talents to serve him and his glory. When we use our talents and our gifts for him and his glory then he will give us his strength and his power to cultivate and grow our gifts far beyond that which anyone can accomplish without him. Our gifts and our talents are gifts from him, blessings from him for his glory so that when others look at us and see our gifts and our talents and congratulate and commend us for them we can point to the one who gives us our gifts and grows them. This is how we praise him. By using our gifts for his glory so that all can see how his power through us. 

Hear the echoes of our calling to live a life that will praise him. 

                                                                Ephesians 1:6

       To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.