Sunday, 12 July 2020 Psalms 149 & 150
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD! -Psalm 150:6 [NKJV]
The book of Psalms forms the central portion of the Bible, covering every area of life of a saint upon this earth. It has mirrored each of our lives one way or the other. This is the reason why many of us have many verses from the psalms close to our heart. It starts with the blessing of following God (Psalm 1:1: Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful) and ends with the grand opera finish of Halleluiah! (Psalm 150:6: Let everything that has breath praise Adonai. Halleluiah!)
After understanding and tasting the goodness of God in all areas of life, how can one stop short of praising Him? In today’s world we have limited our praises of God only to the congregational worship. But the Psalmist explores that, every occasion in life calls for a time of praise and worship to this Almighty God. How about you?
Tersely stated in the Shorter Catechism, "The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” If we are careful enough to look, we can see how God works in and around our life so that we can enjoy Him and live in harmony with Him in every way. This will automatically bring out the praises, because every moment that is spent with Him will lead us to victory. It is not governed by the rules of this dying world but will be guided supernaturally by faith in Him. Then the bitter turns sweet, sorrow gives way for joy and death is swallowed up in victory! Don't you thirst for a life like this? Take a few days and start meditating psalms from the beginning till the end and your attitude towards life will change! Instead of mourning over life’s losses you will praise Him for everything. What a positive transformation you will have!!
Psalms 149 and 150 are thematically the same- Highest form of Praise to the Lord God Almighty. The Psalmist explores every way of praising Him; with every kind of instruments, along with clapping, dancing and singing. The Psalmist also finds the various reasons for praising Him and also the various places to praise Him. Ultimately it is summed up, that everything that has breath praise Him!
Have we forgotten the joy of praising God? Start praising God!!! He is worthy of praising!
As you start praising Him, the atmosphere around you will change. The troubled heart will get calmer and calmer. Slowly you will be relieved from the anxiety and pressure inside of you. This will help you tide over the difficult situations. See how Paul and Silas praised God in the prison and how God miraculously brought them out (Acts 16). As the praise rises the enemy camp becomes less and less powerful and finally gets defeated.
Start your day with a joyful shout unto the Lord, instead of brooding over the situations you are going through. End the day praising Him for all He has done for you! He will guide you victoriously. If you are ready to lead a life like this then you will not be out of place in eternity where there is uninterrupted praise and worship. So start down here and we will be well qualified for eternity.
Quote for the Day: “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him” -John Piper.
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