Megan Evans, Women’s Ministry Director, LHBC
Psalm 150 (ESV)
1Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heaven!
2 Praise him for his mighty works;
praise his unequaled greatness!
3 Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn;
praise him with the lyre and harp!
4 Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;
praise him with strings and flutes!
5 Praise him with a clash of cymbals;
praise him with loud clanging cymbals.
6 Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
There is a lot of hurting in the world today, but there is also a lot of goodness! It only takes a look into the book of Psalms to be reminded of God’s unequaled greatness and mighty works. As Psalm 150 proclaims, “let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!”
The Book of Psalms is a bit like the APP store on our smartphones today–there is a psalm for just about every category you could search. The Bible is an endless supply of instruction, comfort, and encouragement, and with 150 Psalms to choose from, wisdom and praise are always at our fingertips.
Music has always been an important part of praise and worship. Psalm 150 speaks of horns, strings, and instruments of percussion. It speaks of song and dancing. Our mighty God is worthy of all our praise and worship. A car ride, a jog, or even a household chore can transform into opportunities for worship when accompanied by praise music. Lyrics of hymns can become prayers that echo our heart. I often marvel at the hands that can play melodious sounds of an instrument or sing lyrics in crisp notes. But even for those of us who are lacking in musical talent, we can still sing praises to the Lord!
God loves every voice that glorifies His name (yes, even those of us who sing off key), but that’s not all! When we show God’s love to our friends, or demonstrate acts of mercy to our neighbors we resonate a chorus of holy praise! When we speak of the gospel in boldness, when we pray with a coworker, or when we forgive a loved one we glorify His Name with stanzas of His glory! Psalm 150 reminds us that as long as we have breath, we can praise the Lord with our words and our actions.
From the cry of a newborn infant to the labored breath of the aged, every season of life can praise the Lord. What does your day hold? Will you work through a pile of papers in the office? Will you bounce a crying toddler on your hip? Will you operate heavy machinery? Let these sounds and movements echo a chorus of praise to the Lord. Colossians 3:17 reminds us, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” How will you sing praises to the Lord today?
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Father God, I long to bring You praise! In every ordinary task, may I be reminded that I can speak of Your glory. When my eyes are on the troubles of the world around me, remind me of Your greatness and Your mighty works. (Read the words of Psalm 150 to the Lord as a prayer of praise). In Jesus’ Name, Amen
MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK:
2 Samuel 7:22– 22
Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.