Posts Tagged ‘praise the lord’

Scripture reading for July 3rd: Psalms 146-150

Every one of these last psalms begin and end with “praise the Lord”!  That Hebrew word is “Hallelujah” and is familiar to Christians from use in many hymns and choruses.  It is fitting that this Hebrew book of worship would end in a crescendo of praise to the awesome God of heaven!

“Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul.  I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.” (Psalm 146:1-2)   This psalm is a personal statement of the psalmist’s choice to praise the Lord personally.  It is something that comes from his soul and inspires song.  Praise is a life-long pursuit and not optional for those who know Him as “my God”.

“Praise the Lord.  How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise Him!  The Lord builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the exiles of Israel.  He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:1-3)  The nation, as well as individuals,  praises the Lord with joy and singing.  God builds up Jerusalem, His holy city, filling it with the redeemed who worship Him freely!

“Praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him from the heights above.  Praise Him, all His angels, praise Him, all His heavenly host. Praise Him sun and moon, praise Him all you shining stars.” (Psalm 148:1-3)  Praise flows from the angels and all of the heavenly creation to God as well.  Like a rock dropped into still water, praise resonates from individuals to the nation and then to the heavenly hosts!

“Praise the Lord.  Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of the saints.  Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King.” (Psalm 149:1-2)  The saints particularly praise their Lord with creativity by composing a “new song”!  This song is a joyful song of gladness and praise to God for His mercy in redemption and for the King and their kingdom!

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.” (Psalm 150:6)   The last verse of the last psalm commands everything that breathes to give the Lord praise!  All mankind owes its breath and life to the One who breathed life into them.  Man alone can give God the praise that is due Him!

Scripture reading for June 23rd: Psalms 98-103

One of the reasons that we praise the Lord is for all He does for us.  When we think of the Lord, we remember all His past blessings and from the depths of our being, praise begins to flow toward His throne!  These benefits are not just in the past, as a part of history, but also continue on into eternity!  They are gifts that keep on giving benefits and blessings.  Truly, “the blessing of the Lord brings wealth and He adds no sorrow to it.” (Proverbs 10:22)

“Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all of His benefits–who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.” (Psalm 103:2-5)

God’s love gives us what we really need, not just what we think we need.  A primary need for a relationship with God is forgiveness of sin, and all men have sinned.  (Romans 3:23)  Sin brings separation from God.  God is holy and cannot look on sin.  Sin has a penalty set by God–death and ultimately the pit of hell.  (Romans 6:23)  (Revelation 2014-15) God in his mercy offers forgiveness of sins by providing His own Son Jesus Christ to bear our sins on the cross.  Since the penalty of death was paid by Jesus, we by faith can be forgiven freely and justly!  Praise the Lord!

Not only did Jesus Christ redeem us from the penalty of our sins and offer forgiveness, but he also provided for our healing.   “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.” (1st Peter 2:23)  That healing is available to all who will humbly receive.  Praise the Lord!

As we contemplate these benefits given by God through His love, our inmost being cries out in thanksgiving and worship!  But it is not just His benefits, but His glorious presence with us that is most precious!  We are being renewed and transformed daily in order to live in that presence for eternity!  We will soar with the eagles! “Praise the Lord  O My soul, and all that is in me, praise His holy Name! ” (Psalm 103:1)

Scripture reading for June 17th: Psalms 67-72

“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.  Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.” (Psalm 68:19-20)

God, our Savior, is a burden bearer.  We can come to Him each and every day with all of our burdens and troubles and cast them upon Him.  He is honored when His people depend on Him. (Psalm 50:15)  Throughout history, God’s people have come to know and trust God as their only hope of protection and escape from death.  God is the only one with power to save us from death and from eternal separation from Himself.  This separation is the second death, which all men who do not put their trust in God as their Savior and burden bearer will experience.

This “Sovereign Lord” is the King who resides in the sanctuary.  He is moving in a majestic procession lead by singers, musicians and maidens playing tambourines.  The great congregation follows, led by the smallest tribe of Benjamin and the princes of Judah, Zebulun, and Naphtali.  The sanctuary is the temple in Jerusalem; nations are in subjection to the King and they bring Him gifts.  Nations that love war are scattered and humbled. It is plain that the psalmist is talking about God as the ultimate King of Kings who will rule the earth!

“Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, to him who rides the ancient skies above, who thunders with mighty voice.  Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the skies.  You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to His people.” Psalm 68:32-35

Worship and singing are the response of God’s people to the power and majesty of their God and King!  He is again pictured as riding the clouds and speaking with His mighty voice that rumbles like thunder!  When God speaks, we are strengthened and empowered by faith to do His will.  Faith praises God for His awesome Person, the daily burden bearer as well as the escape from death.  Christ Jesus is the King who will soon appear on the clouds of heaven!  His mighty voice will thunder, calling His people to life eternal and worship in the heavenly sanctuary!  What a joyous day!