Daily Devotion, February 19, 2023

 

Devotion:

Read Psalm 150.

The last five Psalms all focus on praise to God. They all begin and end with “Praise the Lord.” And even though many of the Psalms are prayers seeking help from God, the Hebrew word for Psalms itself means “praises.”  

So, it is as if, beginning at Psalm 146, the conclusion of all these hymns starts to build and keeps increasing into a crescendo of praise in the last one. Every verse in this Psalm has the word “praise” in it. Where, why and how to praise God are all addressed in these verses. 

I especially love the inclusion of music as being a primary way that we praise God. Music reaches into the depths of our soul. It moves us in ways that nothing else can. The variety of styles and instruments alone tell of the diversity that God has created in many ways. So whatever style moves you the deepest and highest, use that to praise God, who gave you life and has provided the Way for you to live life at its best and fullest.  

The invitation goes out to all of Creation: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!” 

Personal Worship Option:

Consider rewriting Psalm 150 in your own words. Where would you say to praise the Lord? Why would you say to praise the Lord? What musical instruments would you include for use in praising the Lord? In what other ways would you encourage us all to “Praise the Lord!”?