Transaction

I will exalt you, O LORD,
because you have lifted me up *
and have not let my enemies triumph over me.      Psalm 30:1

                                      Raising Jairus' Daughter         Chris Higham

I will exalt you, O Lord, BECAUSE you have raised me up?

The Psalmist seems to be putting conditions on his reasons for exalting the Lord.

It sounds almost transactional.

It makes me wonder if we do that. 

WHY do we exalt God? Is out of fear? (If I don’t, that God might cast me out?)

Is it out of greed? (God as the great Santa Claus in the sky?)

Is it because we were taught to exalt God as children and just do it out of habit?

Or is there something more?

Or is it because we have considered the mystical beauty of God’s creation and discovered the  miraculous?  Or because we have been touched by God and experienced the fullness of Divine Love? Or because we have experienced Divine Love through the compassion of others?

Why did Jairus, a Temple executive, seek out Jesus, healer of souls?

Why do you?