Make Yourself At Home

Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. – Psalm 33:1

Praise acknowledges God’s goodness and His good works. Through praise we express our thanks for His love, grace and faithfulness towards us. It also is a wonderful way to build our trust in Him because we can grow to stay committed to praise beyond our current feelings or what we may be facing personally even when we don’t “feel” His goodness.

This brings me to a commonly overlooked word that helps to establish this which is the word “comely”. We find it not only in our focus verse above but also in Psalms 147:1 which says,

Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely. – Psalm 147:1

“Comely” comes from the Hebrew word “Naveh” (Strong’s 5600). It is built from two words:

Na – “to be” and Veh – “at home”. Naveh, then, is literally “to be at home”. If we invited someone to our home and saw that they seemed a little “tight” or awkward we may say something like, “Hey, just make yourself at home”. In like manner praise should be “at home” in the life of the believer. It is a fitting response of faith to the grace of God that gives us access to salvation, favor, protection, deliverance, health, abundance and the security of an eternal home.    


Gracious Father with all of my heart, I express my thankfulness for your continual, committed goodness towards me. If it had not been for you, my enemies would have certainly swallowed me up or I would have been overcome by my own sinfulness or the cares of life. But since you are a provider of every good and every perfect gift and because you have a plan for my life which is not to harm me but to give me a hope and a future, I will be mindful to offer a fitting praise at every opportunity, on every occasion, and through every occurrence. Your goodness is worth that and more. In the name of Yahshua (Jesus) your son, by whom your provision of grace was purchased and is supplied for me, I pray.
   

Praising the one and only, true and living God is my life. It is not a show but a genuine expression of the depths of my heart. From the time I first awake in the morning until the end of the day He is worthy of it. Every challenge that I have, whether good or bad is met with this same response: “My God is still worthy of my best praise.” I praise my way in, I praise my way up, I praise my way through, and I praise my way out. My praise shall NEVER be commonplace or given in religious obligation. He is too real to me for that. He is too awesome to me for that. He’s been too good to me for that. I find it a privilege to acknowledge Him in all my ways and He directs my path, quiets my mind, and fills me with His unmistakable presence. Bring on the world!

Psalm 18:3; Phillipians 4:8