Psalm 150 speaks of the calling of every one of us. In verse one the psalmist says, "Praise ye the Lord, Praise God in the sanctuary: praise Him in the firmament of His power." And we ought to take note of the fact that he speaks of two groups of persons and of two places where they abide. He speaks of those in His sanctuary here below, and those in heaven, whore He reveals Himself more fully. This is beautifully expressed in our Psalter with these words:
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
In His temple God be praised;
In the high and heavenly places
Be the sounding anthem raised.
Surely this includes you and me today. We are quite ready when troubles come, to run to God for help. But did you lift your heart and soul in praise to Him today? You may have praised your employer or employee, your children, or a friend for his or her kindness. But have you praised God for all the blessings of salvation which He has showered down upon you? Did you, the first thing this morning, praise Him for the care and protection He gave you last night?
Your newspaper may have informed you of a fire that destroyed a home last night, of a person rushed to the hospital, or of a family bereaved of a loved one. You and I did not suffer any of these disappointments. But did we thank God for watching over us and our loved ones? Or did we just take it all for granted? Truly God is not in all our thoughts. For that matter, He is so seldom in our thoughts.
And what about all the rich gifts of salvation that He unceasingly gives to us? He keeps us in the faith, preserves in us the life from above that He gave us the moment we were born again. He deals with us from moment to moment on the basis of what His Son did for us on the cross. And today His Son is working all things, without exception, together for our good. What a multitude of reasons there are to praise Him.
Praise Him then. And if you want music in your home or at work, let it not be silly noise the world makes and calls music; but let it be songs of praise. With the angels sing: "Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah."
Read: Psalm 150
Psalter versification: 409:1
Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism
Song for Meditation: Psalter number 353
Why not sing along??
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Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Genesis 31:17-55 ; Genesis 32:1-12
Matthew 10:24-42 ; Matthew 11:1-6
Psalm 13:1-6
Proverbs 3:16-18
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Quote for Reflection:
“Those who are truly humbled in their hearts, and brought to place their confidence in God, shall experience how much care He has for His children,
and how well He provides for their necessities… after He has afflicted and tried us, He does not forsake us; but after He has molded and trained us by the cross to humility and meekness, He still shows himself to be a wise and provident Father in guiding and directing us through life.” --John Calvin
Additional Info
- Date: 15-January
