Author: Jon Green

Protection provides peace. This is a simple truth that has a profound impact on our lives. Whenever we don’t feel protected, we’ll be prone to anxious thoughts and sleepless nights. We’ve all had moments where we feel a lack of protection when our finances aren’t steady, our health is disrupted, or our standing at our job is in question. Whenever these things are going awry, it’s hard to have peace because we don’t feel protected. In other words, our protection comes from our circumstances. 

In Psalm 11, the first of what are referred to as “psalms of trust” or “imprecatory psalms”, we read about one of these situations where it seems like David’s protection has been removed. His enemies are after him and have him in their sights. David should be panicked. David should be on the run. David should be frustrated with God. But he isn’t.

In the midst of his dangerous circumstances, David is still at peace. He finds rest in the presence of his enemies because he knows that, “the LORD is righteous, he loves justice, the upright will see his face” (v. 7). Even though David’s situation seems out of control, his demeanor remains steady. He’s at peace because he believes the eyes of the Lord are on him and the power of God is with him.

Since David doesn’t find his protection from anything in the world, the world can’t take it away. He knows that his only true security can be found in the King who has never met an enemy too powerful. Therefore, although David’s life is at risk, he’s still at rest. Whenever we face chaos in our lives we can live with the same sort of confidence. We’re protected by the God of angel armies, and because of that we can live at peace.

Psalm 150 provides a short, but fitting end to the collection of Psalms. The last sentence of the last Psalm encourages us to “Praise the Lord.” In fact, the reader is encouraged to “praise” 13 times in these six verses. The Psalmist isn’t shy or unclear about the “call to action” that comes from Psalm 150. In this Psalm, we learn where to praise God, why to praise God, how to praise God, and who should praise God.

In verse 1 the Psalmist tells us where to praise God: Both in His sanctuary and in his mighty heavens. In other words, there’s not a place in the universe where we shouldn’t praise Him! We can praise Him in the physical location of His sanctuary (tabernacle, temple) and we can praise Him in the heavens. Everything in the heavens and earth is his (1 Chronicles 29:11)—it’s appropriate to praise God anywhere and everywhere.

Verse 2 tells us why we can praise God: for both His acts of power and for His surpassing greatness. We worship God for both who He is (His greatness) and what He’s done (His acts of power). We praise Him for His attributes and for His work. We will never run out of reasons to praise Him.

As far as how we praise God, the Psalmist lists out all the instruments in the praise band—trumpet, harp, cymbals, and the timbrel (if you’re wondering, a timbrel is like a tambourine). We can make a joyful noise to the Lord (Psalm 100), and praise Him both with instruments and with our voices.

And who should praise God? Anyone and everyone who has breath in their lungs should praise the Lord. The psalmist makes it very clear that if you have breath, then you are to praise Him. If you’re breathing, then your heart is pumping, and you can praise Him. May we be people who praise God all the days He lets our hearts beat and our bodies produce breath. Praise the Lord!

There are several unique themes throughout Psalm 149. In the first few verses, the main theme is the praise of God’s people. There is praise and singing to the Lord. God loves to receive our rejoicing through song. The next couple of verses share the pleasure of true praise. God is first described as our Maker and then our King. As we worship God, whether at church or in our own time with the Lord, we can remember the great power and love He has for us, despite our sins. As we come before the Lord in humility and praise, He will make us all beautiful with salvation. 

The psalm also highlights the power of God’s people. For instance, when it says, “Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds,” it’s referring to how the saints are so happy in God’s glory that waking hours are not enough to express their praise, so they must continue it on their beds. 

Psalm 149 describes God’s people as ready for battle and equipped with mighty weapons. The Lord will grant victory to His people and fight for us, but as God’s people, we should also prepare to excel in both praise and the preaching of God’s Word. The last few verses speak to the victory of God’s people. Through the power of praise and the Word of God, we will see the work of God in the nations. God will use all types of people to set right the wrongs of the world. 

Throughout this chapter, we see the glory of God and the continuous praises of His people. God finds joy in this praise and adorns those who act in humility. God will also provide us with a two-edged sword to fight the wickedness in the world, and we will find victory through our praise to God and His Word. May these glimpses of God’s heart make us draw closer to Him. After reading this passage, find some quiet time to praise God for everything He has done in your life. Pick up your own two-edged sword and fight the wickedness in the world.

Psalm 148 is commonly referred to as a psalm of universal praise. These verses are a call for everything on the earth and in the heavens to praise the name of the Lord. Verse 5 gives us insight into why God deserves our praise, “[f]or he commanded and they were created.” God is Creator of everything on Earth, as well as in the heavens, and that is praiseworthy.

In only 14 verses, the psalmist covers all aspects of the earthly and the heavenly realms.  Starting with the angels in the heavens, we are reminded in verses 1 and 2 that nothing is so high that it should not praise the Lord. Even the sun, moon, and stars are praising their Creator (verse 5). From the highest mountain to the depths of the ocean, all of creation owes its existence to the Lord.  Verse 8 tells us that “fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind [fulfill] his word!” It is awe-inspiring to think that even the weather is sovereignly under God’s control and brings glory to His name!

Have you ever stopped to consider that a fruit tree bearing fruit or a cedar tree that produces durable, strong wood has only done so because God personally created those trees and commanded them to do so? Verse 10 tells us that both the wild and tame beasts of the earth, as well as living creatures that crawl along the ground or fly up in the air are workmanship of the Creator and bring praise and honor to him. As you move on to verse 11, we are reminded that no living creature is exempt from the obligation to bring praise to God. It does not matter if you are a king or a ruler, a man or a woman, old or young, we should all unite in praising the Lord!

It’s important to pay attention to the fact that this Psalm begins and ends with the phrase “Praise the Lord!” If you struggle with how to talk to God, beginning and ending with praise is a great place to start. Begin today by praising the Lord for the beautiful morning sky or cool breeze. At the end of the day, praise Him for the clear light of the moon or the still sounds of the night. His glory exceeds all others and the more you establish a habit of praise, the closer you will be drawn to Him.

Today’s Psalm starts by praising God and declaring that it is “good” to sing praises to Him. Verse 1 seems a bit formal upon first reading, and the rest of the chapter can feel like reading a grocery list, but a deeper dive into the translation reveals the soul-touching, life-changing revelation that comes from deeply, truly recognizing and engaging in the practice of praise. 

The verse begins with “How good it is to sing praises to our God…” The word good sounds a bit lackluster as it is commonly used today, but good meant something completely different to the Psalmist. The Hebrew word used here is towb. It is the same word used in the creation story of Genesis when the Bible states, “and He saw that it was good.” Good is the declaration of God when He spoke the universe into being! Good is not dull or boring! Good means excellent, magnificent, complete, valuable. This is the benefit and beauty of praising God! 

The verse ends with “…how pleasant and fitting to praise him!” Upon first reading, it may remind us of an etiquette lesson with instructions on how using the appropriate fork or proper dinner topics are “pleasant and fitting.” Again, the depth of the meaning seems to be lost in translation, so let’s dive in! The Hebrew words used here are naiym and nawah, meaning lovely or delightful and becoming or attractive. What we find revealed in the translation is that praising God changes us; it makes us better. Praising God transforms us into lovely and becoming people.

The chapter proceeds to list examples of God’s provision throughout Israel’s history, proclaiming them as the present perfection of His purpose for His people. The writer realizes that God’s work in the past remains God’s work in the present and prepares us for God’s work in the future. He wants us to remember what He has done to grow our faith and that He will do it again. Sometimes, we may approach praising God as something we “have” to do or just church-speak for singing, but God designed the action of praising Him so we recognize His magnificent power and His eternal provision. We are better people for His good and for His glory when we praise Him!

Reading through this psalm, there were numerous little details that stood out, not least of which were the callbacks to other Old Testament stories throughout Jewish history. To show the greatness of God, the psalmist writes of the defeat over Pharaoh of Egypt, Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og of Bashan. While there were many other examples the psalmist could have chosen, these make the point loud and clear: God is worthy to be praised! 

Following these remembrances of Israel’s past, and of God’s faithfulness, the psalmist makes a move to contrast idols with this Mighty God, worthy of praise. In verses 15-18 we learn a lot about these idols. We learn they are made by human hands, using parts of creation that God gave us (silver and gold). We learn that they have the features of humanity, but none of the life. They cannot see, hear, or speak, even though they have been “made in the image” of those who can. This, whether inadvertent or intentional, calls back to Genesis 1, where God made humans in His image. Looking at this story alongside this psalm, we can see how the two creations absolutely do not compare. 

When God created humanity, He gave us the ability to enjoy Him and His creation. We can see the beauty of a sunrise, we can hear the birds chirping, and we can sing His praises with our voice. These are only some of the ways we can enjoy Him. The greatest difference between God’s creation of  humans and humans’ creation of  idols is this: “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Gen. 2:7). 

God gave His creation, humans, the breath of life, but as we read in Psalm 135:17, “…nor is there breath in their mouths.” The idols we create have no breath! If they can’t even compare to humans, how can they come close to comparing to God? Therefore, we are reminded to do as the psalm commands from beginning to end: “Praise the Lord,” serve Him, love Him, and see how He loves His creation far more than any man-made idol ever could. 

Yes, that’s the whole chapter. Two verses. Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible, but despite it’s length, we can still learn a lot from it this morning. So go read it again (it shouldn’t take too long), or as many times as it takes to let the words sink in, and then let’s dive in together. 

Our reading today begins with a simple command to all the nations: Praise the Lord. This command is repeated in the next line, and the last line of the chapter. When the Bible repeats something, it means we should be paying attention. It’s the author’s way of telling you something in a way that you can’t miss or ignore. It’s a simple command, but despite how clearly the Bible commands us to do this, many of us fail to do so. As we see this command, we should think about how often we praise the Lord and how we can do so more consistently. 

For some of us though, we might not see the point. “Why should I praise God? What has He done for me recently that gives me a reason to praise Him? What makes Him worthy of my time and praise?” We only need to look into the second verse to find reasons–His unfailing love is powerful, and His faithfulness endures forever. His love doesn’t fail. Ever. And His faithfulness endures. Forever. He doesn’t love us until we mess up or fall short. He doesn’t stop being faithful even when we turn away from Him. 

So now we know that we should praise God, and we know why. But what exactly does that mean? This is what GotQuestions.org says in response to the question “What does it mean to praise the Lord?”: 

Whom do we praise? The Lord alone (Psalm 148:13). How do we praise Him? With singing (Psalm 149:1), with dancing (verse 2), with musical instruments (Psalm 150:3), with our words (Psalm 35:28), with our actions (Colossians 3:17), with our uprightness (Psalm 119:7), and with all our hearts (Psalm 86:12). 

Today’s reading was shorter than normal, but that doesn’t mean we spend less time with God. With this extra time, challenge yourself to really go through the questions, and write down your answers somewhere. Use the rest of your time praising the Lord, because His love never fails. 

We will never be able to find a piece of nature that didn’t come from the mind of our God. Not only was He creative enough to think of it, but He was powerful enough to form it into being. Everything from the seas, the stars, and the seals are all from His creative power. This psalm helps us realize that God genuinely cares for His creation. He didn’t just create and then step away but is still involved in the happenings on Earth. He is an active God all throughout His vast creation. This psalm helps us understand the grandeur and wisdom of God. He’s not distant from His creation, nor is He inept in His power.

 It’s easy for us to get overwhelmed with the things on our immediate to-do list. We are so consumed with our work, our relationships, or our finances that sometimes we begin to believe we are the god of our lives. We have our own kingdom to run. It’s our job to run our life and we need to make sure we have it under control. However, this psalm allows us to step back and get perspective on what is actually true. We have a God that is so big and so great, that He is able to create and sustain everything on Earth. He is the One who has authority over every living thing. He is the One who is overseeing our lives. He’s not taking a role in our kingdom, but rather we are taking part in His. 

 We don’t have to be consumed with making sure all is well with our world because we aren’t the ones in charge of it. Psalm 104 should be a comforting reminder that we aren’t the sustainers of our life. Instead, we get the opportunity to rely on God to provide for us in every season. There is nothing too great for Him. He isn’t overwhelmed by your situation. As we meditate on all He has done, it should prompt us to the place where this psalm ends: with praise to our God. 

While the previous psalm was a cry for distress, Psalm 103 is one of the most familiar psalms of praise. Yesterday we heard David crying out for help and likening himself to a desert owl among the ruins and a bird alone on a roof (102:6-7). Both of these word pictures describe isolation and defeat.

Notice today then, how David describes what God can do for your soul in verse 5: [He] satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. In comparison to the birds described in Psalm 102, the eagle is a picture of strength and victory. In fact, an eagle’s gripping strength is ten times stronger than the average grip of an adult hand, exerting upwards of 400 pounds per square inch. Despite this strength, the eagle also must go through the continual process of molting its feathers from head to tail in order to be able to survive. The eagle never loses all its feathers at once; instead it goes through this process losing only a few feathers at a time so that it can continue to fly and hunt.

David didn’t use this word picture without reason. He knew that as a follower of God, there would be a continual process of rebirth and restoration as we walk through life on this earth. But, David also knew that God was faithful to renew our strength and ultimately make us victorious. How did he know? Let’s look again at verses 3-4.

God forgives all our sins. He heals all our diseases. He redeems our lives from the pit. He crowns us with love and compassion. David knew these things to be true because he had seen God’s faithfulness through his own life and the lives of those before him.  

The same is still true. Jesus came to earth, died on the cross, and was raised to life three days later so that we could be fully restored and renewed. Sometimes in life we might feel like we are going through the molting process or feel more like the desert owl isolated among the ruins. But this chapter is a merciful reminder that God isn’t finished. He will satisfy our desires with good things and renew our strength like the eagle’s. If you’re in the “victory” period right now, praise Him for His kindness. If you feel like you’re in the middle of molting and isolation, don’t give up. He will not let you lose all your feathers at once. It might be slow and it might feel like it’s taking too long—but He is still good, and His promises stand true. You will survive the renewal process and come out the other side exactly as God created you to be: victorious in Him. For as high as the heavens are above this earth, so great is His love for you.

Psalm 100 serves as a powerful reminder of the fact that the Lord reigns as King and we are His people. Through no effort or accomplishments of our own doing, the Lord has invited us into His eternal presence. He’s worthy of our praise and worship, songs of joy, and eternal gratitude. When we’re faithless, His faithfulness endures through all generations. 

Yet, when we’re honest with ourselves, we forget about this amazing, undeserving invitation we’ve received. We don’t shout for joy and our hearts are often filled with complaint and comparison, rather than gladness, gratitude, and joy. Many Sundays, we find ourselves going through the motions as we sing songs, pray, and listen to a sermon. 

Would someone ever accuse you of “shouting for joy to the Lord”? What does it look like to live a life that shouts out in joy to the Lord? The world, and even the church, is not marked by this type of “joy-shouting” life. In moments of authentic reflection, you might admit your life looks like the lives of those in the rest of the world. We’re often no different than our non-believing friends, family members, co-workers, and neighbors.

We’ve been invited into the courts of the living God. The psalmist wrote this psalm around three thousand years ago. The Son died on the cross for our sins two thousand years ago. But the Father’s love endures forever, and His faithfulness continues for generation after generation after generation (and so on!).

Take a moment to reread this short psalm. It’s only five verses—certainly you can read it or listen to it again. Be reminded of His enduring, never-ending, faithful love for you. Take a moment to thank Him for it. And don’t be afraid to shout for joy to Him in worship and in the way you live your life today. (Just don’t wake up your roommates or any sleeping family members!)