DECEMBER 14, 2015
Let’s Celebrate
Read:
Psalm
150
Praise
him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe. — Psalm 150:4
After Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan scored a goal against Germany in the
2014 World Cup, he and his teammates did a coordinated dance step. When
Germany’s Miroslav Klose scored a few minutes later, he did a running front
flip. “Soccer celebrations are so appealing because they reveal players’
personalities, values, and passions,” says Clint Mathis, who scored for the US
at the 2002 World Cup.
In Psalm 150, the psalmist invites “everything that has breath”
to celebrate and praise the Lord in many different ways. He suggests that we
use trumpets and harps, stringed instruments and pipes, cymbals and dancing. He
encourages us to creatively and passionately celebrate, honor, and adore the
Lord. Because the Lord is great and has performed mighty acts on behalf of His
people, He is worthy of all praise. These outward expressions of praise will
come from an inner wellspring overflowing with gratitude to God. “Let
everything that has breath praise the Lord,” the psalmist declares (150:6).
Though we may celebrate the Lord in different ways (I’m not encouraging
back flips in our worship services), our praise to God always needs to be
expressive and meaningful. When we think about the Lord’s character and His
mighty acts toward us, we cannot help but celebrate Him through our praise and
worship.
How has
this psalm challenged you to be more expressive in your praise to God? Spend
some time thinking about the greatness of the Lord’s mighty works. Then give
Him your praise.
Praise is the song of a soul set
free.
INSIGHT:
The last five psalms (146–150) are also known
as Hallelujah psalms because each of them begins and ends with “Hallelujah” or
“Praise the Lord.” The psalmist calls for “everything that has breath”—every
living thing on earth and spiritual beings in the heavens—to worship God for
what He has done (v. 6). We praise Him for “his acts of power” and for “his
surpassing greatness” (v. 2). God deserves the full and joyous expression of
our commitment and devotion, and we can praise Him exuberantly with singing and
musical instruments (vv. 3-6).
Source: Our Daily Bread 2015