Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto Thee.
I just looked up the definition of render to make sure I wasn't missing anything, and here are a few nuances of its meaning:
- To deliver or transmit to someone, to yield something to someone.
- To acknowledge dependence or obligation to someone.
- To do a service for someone.
Also:
- To direct the carrying out of something
- To verbally or artistically present something.
Praise can become a narrow concept. Christians shout "Praise God!", or if they're shy like me, they write "Praise God!" in their journal and use an exclamation point. It's good to praise God. Praise Him for your blessings, for your trials, for your answered prayers, and for other people's answered prayers. Those are like popcorn praises. They pop up and pop out from a joyful heart, giving God glory in short bursts throughout the day.
But then there's rendering praises. Giving them. Acknowledging your obligation to God for them. Offering God a (very small) service by taking the time to not just offer Him a quick thank You, but to create something beautiful for Him. Render a praise. Make it. Speak it. Create it. Pour out your heart in a carefully arranged rendition of the life song He's given you.
Sometimes praise is painful. When you're on your face before the Almighty, and you're heartbroken, and right now the God of the universe looks more like a monster than a loving father. Those might not be the times for popcorn praises. They're the times when your broken heart seeks the melody of faithfulness and beauty running through your life, and sings it back to the Lord, albeit in a minor key.
The act of creation can be a praise. Art, storytelling, music. So create! Illustrate the faithful goodness, mercy, grace, and beauty of God, then offer it to Him as a praise.
Don't just praise God. Create praises for God.
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