When David chose to take Bathsheba to himself, he sinned against the Lord. Sometime thereafter, the Lord began to work in David’s heart convincing him of his wrongdoing. David described this painful process as something like having his bones broken (Psalm 51:8). The convicting work of God confirmed David’s “bloodguiltiness” (Psalm 51:14). It assured him that he had sinned against God and needed to repent. This conviction brought great fear to David’s heart (Psalm 51:11). At the same time, this conviction led David to acknowledge his transgressions (Psalm 51:3), seek God’s mercy (Psalm 51:1), and ask God to renew a right spirit within him (Psalm 51:10).
Most Christians have an incorrect concept of the meaning of the word praise. Perhaps one reason for this is the fact that some believers have labeled many charismatic tendencies as praise in order to justify their behaviour. Historically, the word was understood to have a connection to value or worth. Even today, people understand this connection when considering the word appraisal. In fact, many verses that deal with praise also include some statement of the Lord’s worth. 2 Samuel 22:4 says, “I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised.” One must declare the worth of the object of praise in order to praise someone or something. If an action fails to declare the personal value of a person or thing, it cannot rightly be considered praise.
