Psalm 150 – Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. (NIV)

This spring, I attended a special performance of Handel's Messiah by an orchestra and choir in Dublin, Ireland. I wasn't aware that the music was written for Easter, not Christmas. First performed in Dublin on April 13th, 1742, I watched it on the day of its 275th anniversary. It was magnificent! I enjoyed every moment.

Who hasn't heard the glorious strains of the Hallelujah Chorus? Handel wrote the whole oratorio — 259 pages — in just three weeks. What a miracle! He could have been guided only by the Holy Spirit. He was, as Mother Theresa claimed of herself, "just a little pencil in the hand of a writing God".

Handel's original manuscript still exists 275 years later. On this amazing work, he wrote, "SDG": Soli deo gloria — To God alone be the glory. He humbly acknowledged that it wasn't accomplished through his own genius.

We're familiar with PTL: Praise the Lord. Since attending this concert, I've begun the practise of writing SDG on anything for which I want to give God the glory. It amounts to a great deal! There's always something — just look around, and you'll see something to praise God for. You'll want to write it in your Bible. Scribble it in your journal, on your calendar, and on the back of photographs of loved ones. Paint it on a rock in the garden. Use a permanent marker on the bottom of your coffee cup, and someone is sure to ask what it means!

Add SDG to anything that you accomplish with your own hands, with the full knowledge that you are able to do it only through God's strength, a gift from Him. We have a myriad of strengths and abilities, family and loved ones, food and all the provisions of life… and a whole lot more! We have God's forgiveness and the promise of life everlasting. We're not all musicians, but we can all sing praise. We can join with the psalmist in proclaiming, "My cup runneth over." (Psalm 23:5c KJV)

We have so much to praise and thank Him for. SDG!

Psalm 92:1-2 – It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night. (NIV)

Prayer: Lord, it is good to praise You. Forgive us for taking so much for granted. May we wake in the morning and go to sleep at night giving You alone the glory. Amen.

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About the author:

JJ Ollerenshaw <sandjollie86@gmail.com>
Belleville, Ontario, Canada
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