Psalm 148 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 148 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights!
Verse 2Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host!
Verse 3Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars!
Verse 4Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!
Verse 5Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created.
Verse 6He established them forever and ever; he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.
Verse 7Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps,
Verse 8fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command!
Verse 9Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!
Verse 10Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds!
Verse 11Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!
Verse 12Young men and women alike, old and young together!
Verse 13Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven.
Verse 14He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the Lord!
Devotion
There seems to be no limit to the praise expressed in the psalm. Things of beauty and awe praise God, like the sunset evening or the stars on a cloudless night. Things of danger and threat also praise God, like the sea monsters in the deep, as well as fires, storms, blizzards and heat. If creeping things praise God, then even mosquitoes praise God.
We readily grasp certain peoples or leaders praising God, but the psalmist goes beyond these comfortable boundaries. “Kings of the earth and all people, princes and all rulers of the earth praise God,” whether they know it or not. Even our enemies praise God.
Why this outrageous praise? Because God raised up the horn of salvation. Later on, in the light of the resurrection, the apostle Paul will praise God who “reconciled to himself all things whether on earth or in heaven.” Yes, even pesky mosquitoes praise God.
Prayer
O God, there is a breadth to your redemptive love which gathers in praise things which we find contradictory or incompatible or simply just plain irritating. Help us to praise you and to see the praise of you in all things.