Psalms 150:1-6
“Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.”
Psalms 150:1-6 NIV
God is worthy of our praise on the good days and bad, happy and sad, in our rejoicing and even through our tears, He is worthy. We can celebrate His attributes. He is a God of Justice. He is Love. He shows us grace and mercy. Our world if filled with metaphors on how He cares for us like a shepherd, or a mother hen. Even when we are in the dark or feel alone, He is worthy.
In the Hebrew, the word used for praise is hallelujah. This word is in the imperative form, which means that praising God is not a suggestion or an invitation, but a command to every one of us. In the Bible, the word praise occurs about 259 times and worship occurs around 188 times.
What a wonderful reminder of how important it is to praise and worship the Lord. After all, the reason God created us was to worship Him. The command today is praise to the Lord our God. If you have breath in your body your mouth should be open wide and giving the Lord your God praise this day.
All throughout the Bible, we see many examples of God’s people praising Him. King David was known to dance wildly before the Lord with abandon. King David was very passionate in his praise for the Lord. When we praise the Lord, it’s much more than singing a happy song. In the spiritual realm, praise and worship is also a weapon of warfare.
Satan and his minions can’t stand it when we exalt the name of Jesus and praise the Lord. They have no choice but to flee. Praising and magnifying the Lord’s name causes bondages to break loose, strongholds to come down, and chains to fall.
Praise the Lord for His Mighty acts of kindness and love shown towards us day in and day out. Praise Him for His Great and Mighty works not only in creation, but in our lives daily. From whom or what does God deserve to be praised?
The heavens are His and the earth is His too. All the creatures large and small belong to Him because He has made them, each one in its own sphere and for its own purpose. The bodies of the heavens move at His command and each occupies the space and circuit that He has assigned to it.
Thus ends 150 chapters through the Psalms. “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” Like a call to everything that is living in the world. So think about that. What’s included with everything that has breath? Well, animals, fish, the birds of the air, fish of the sea, animals across the land, all created for the praise of their creator.
Let everything that has breath. And, of course, that includes you and me. That’s the whole picture we see throughout 150 psalms, that we have breath for one reason. To praise the Lord.
I remember hearing it said years ago. Somebody said, “What if this last phrase in the book of Psalms was switched around? What if instead of it saying let everything that has breath praise the Lord, what if it said let everything that praises the Lord have breath?”
So how many of us would be alive right now if our every single breath was dependent on it being lifted in praise to God. I submit to you that the God of the Psalms, the God of the Bible, the one true God is worthy of nothing less than every single breath we have. Every single breath dedicated to his praise. We live to praise the Lord. That’s what we live for.
But as great as is His power and His creation, even greater is His love for those whom He has given life. Today carve out time for God, when you awake. Praise Him before you lay down to sleep. Praise Him in the car on your way to work. Praise Him while you cook dinner. Praise Him in the shower. Praise Him when you’re standing in line at the checkout. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!!!
Father thank You for this day and thank You for Your love and Your grace that makes it possible for us to talk with You and know You will hear us. Lord let Your abundant blessings flow from the storehouses of heaven over my friend and family today. Lord thank You for the many things You have done for us and placed in our lives. Lord thank You for others who are serving You and who help and encourage us in my service to You. Lord thank You for Your Word and the ability You have given us to read and understand it, help us to live it in every part of our lives. Lord use my friend to be a bold witness of Your saving grace to all today. Be a blessing. Love ya.
Father, we love you amen !
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