Do we praise the Lord enough? Is it possible to praise the Lord too much? Today’s reading is all about praising the Lord! We are back in the Psalms for this and notice: we are to praise the Lord!
I thought this was interesting; God is mentioned 130 times in 53 verses. Our total reading is 62 verses. So, who is the focus of the reading? God! And the focus is on who should praise Him and why.
The following verses stood out to me. Praise the LORD! Let all that I am praise the LORD. I will praise the LORD as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath. Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. (Psalm 146:1–5, NLT)
The Psalmist found something in God that convinced him to praise God with all he is until his last dying breath. What is it that he found in God? His hope! So often, it is easy to misplace our hope or even just some of our hope, in others or other things, looking for help in the wrong places. There is no joy in those places like there is in God. Have you ever had your hope disappointed? We could all say yes.
Is there a situation too big for God? No! Notice the rest of chapter 146: He made all things…keeps His promises…gives justice to the oppressed…food to the hungry…frees the prisoners…opens the eyes of the blind…lifts burdens…loves the godly…protects…cares for the orphans and widows…and frustrates the plans of the wicked…and reigns forever. Yes, praise the Lord! Let’s place our hope in Him!
Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Psalm 136; 146-150.