Psalm 113:2-3 Let the name of the LORD be praised,
both now and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the LORD is to be praised.

The Psalmist here removes all restrictions of time and place from the worship of Yahweh, the Creator who alone is God. The Psalmist goes on in this Psalm to talk about the intensely personal interest God takes in us His creation, which again is very different from most religions. This should be a strong encouragement to anyone who knows God to tell others about Him, whoever and wherever they are, in whatever time. When we are focused on praising God for who and what He is, then others will at least be curious as to what it is all about, and it becomes easy to share the Gospel with them. When our focus is on “I’ve got to evangelize,” then it is a burden that can quickly become unbearable. When our focus is on how wonderful God is, then evangelism flows as a natural result. Obedience to God is a privilege much more than it is a duty, even though it logically is a duty, but we will never see it that way unless our focus is on praising and worshiping Him because He is so entirely worthy of it all.

Evangelism doesn’t come that “naturally” to me, but I’ve discovered a joy in it that is almost surprising. I have found praise and worship to be the most deeply satisfying activities I can engage in, and that has spilled over into inviting others to join me. I will never forget the Lord reminding me of Acts 1:8 at the point I abruptly realized I was sharing the Gospel with a total stranger, two days after He had baptized me in the Holy Spirit. I hadn’t experienced any manifestations that I could recognize, but He pointed out to me that “the proof of the pudding was in the eating,” so to speak. Trusting Him to be true to His Word opened me up to the flow of His Spirit through me, and that naturally resulted in evangelism. If I am focused on the mechanics of being a Christian, be it evangelism or anything else, I will be robbed of the joy that God has for me. If I am focused on God and His love for me, loving Him in return, then everything else will flow from that.

Father, it’s taken me a long time to really grasp this. Help me get this truth across to others so that they won’t struggle with it as long as I did. May I not get trapped by legalism, either for myself or for others, but rather rejoice in the privilege of expressing love to You by my obedience, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!