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
I sense the Psalmist was in a really good mood the day this was written, full of praise and wonder; struck by the awesomeness of Almighty God. It’s easy to praise God when things are going well, when things are going the way we want them to go, when we are happy. But, it’s when things are not good, when everything seems to be against us and we are down, that we probably most need to praise God. For in the praising, we can begin to remember we are in his gracious grip, no matter the circumstance, no matter the emotion, no matter what befalls us. In praising, we find ourselves humbled. And in our humility, we can begin to see again, God at work in our lives.
Prayer
Awesome God, remind me each day that I am in your arms of mercy and grace. Help me to focus on you when I don’t like what I see going on around me. Show me what I can do to make a difference and give me the courage to act. Help me to rely on you first, not just when all other supports have given way. Help me to know you are there to lead and guide. Lead me into humility and praise. Amen.