Psalm 95:1-3 — O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Because we are redeemed. He is our vision, He wears the victor’s crown, He is holding on to us, and we are heaven bound.
O.K., that’s a bit forced. It’s a mash-up of the titles of the worship songs we rehearsed this week. Every one of them is beautiful in it’s own right, but as we worked on them they were telling me a story of how many reasons there are to praise the Lord. Let’s look at them one by one.

We are redeemed — “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Jesus is our kinsman redeemer and pays the debt we cannot pay.

He is our vision — “And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.” (Matthew 17:1-2). We have our eyes set on Him, and He leads us where we must go.

He wears the Victor’s crown — “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.” (Revelation 19:11-12). Jesus is a warrior who leads us to victory … and will lead His people to the great final victory!

Jesus is holding on to us — “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39). Jesus is holding on to us and will never let us go.

We are heaven bound — “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 3:14). Because of Jesus, and all He is, and all He has done, we are headed to heaven.

So what do you think? Have you got breath? Praise the Lord!