Sunday,   June 22
Reading for today:   Psalm 134 and 145-150

The 150th Psalm is the last one in the book, but that doesn't mean we have read all the way through Psalms yet.    There are still several Psalms yet to read...maybe 8-10.   All things considered, we are nearly finished.

I notice that the first thing that David says in each psalm  (146-150) is "Praise the Lord".    Really, that's what these psalms are about.  Praising God.

God enjoys being praised.  It pleases Him to have us talk about his attributes and his actions.  God enjoyes hearing the ways in which we have recognized his goodness to us.  But more than that, He is pleased when we speak about the ways in which He should be honored.   Keep in mind that we cannot possibly know or understand everything that God has accomplished.   His power and authority, His wisdom and government go so far beyond our ability to understand, our feeble attempts at insight are simply not worth expressing on the matter.    But even though that's true, God is pleased with our attempts....and so we praise Him.

David says the heavens should praise, the earth should praise, the created things should praise, all people (young and old) should praise.   Let everything that has breath....and everything that doesn't....praise the Lord.     Give to God the credit that He is due.   The earth and all that is in it are His.  We are His.   Our present and our future belong to Him.  All our resources were His before we had them...and He gave them to us.   Our children were His before they were ours.  He knew them before we did.    Nothing happens without His permission.  If it's good He caused it.   If it's bad, He allowed it.   He is the center of it all, and the reason for it all.  In Him we find reason, purpose and direction for living.  In Him we find balance, strength and insight.

There isn't any created thing that we can give credit to God for that He doesn't deserve.   In James it says that "every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of the heavenly lights".   All good comes from God.   And we rightfully should praise Him for it.

Praise the Lord.


PR